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Class_ AG, 165 

Book_IT- S3 

Copyright N°.___ 

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The Middle South 

WOOL BOOK 


A TREATISE OF PRACTI¬ 
CAL INFORMATION FOR 
THE HO M E AND THE F A',R M 



■ ■ ■■■■ ■ ' ■— —— ■ ^ ^ 1 ; , *■ 

LEAKSVILLE WOOLEN MILLS 

Leaksville, N. C. Edition of 1900 


PREPARED BY 
FRANK H. TAYLOR 
718 ARCH ST.'VhILADA. 


COPYRIGHTED BY 
THE LEAKSVILLE 
WOOLEN MILLS 















TWO COPIES RECEIVED, 

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APR 24 1900 

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OUR 

WOOL 


GIFT TO THE 

GROWERS 


HE Leaksville Woolen Mills enjoys a wide and favorable 
reputation all through the great wool-growing belt of North 
Carolina and adjoining States. Its methods of conducting 
business have proven, by long experience, to be of equal 
benefit to both the wool growers and the company. The 
primary feature of the business of this company is a fair interchange of 
goods,—a system based upon the good old institution of barter. 

Barter is as old as humanity. It was in vogue centuries before money 
was invented, money being, in fact, but an artificial convenience for the 
expansion of an exchange of commodities. Barter remains to-day the 
most equitable way of trading in many parts of the world. 

Thousands of farmers, many of them hundreds of miles distant from 
Leaksville, deal with us annually. We naturally wish to establish closer 
relations of confidence and good-will with these patrons, to encourage 
them in the profitable field of wool-growing, and to make the name of the 
Leaksville woolen mills a household word. 

To this end we have published, at a large outlay, the Wool Book 
of the Middle South. It will be found, upon examination, of great 
practical value in every home. It not only deals with the important subjects 
of wool and its improved production, but it contains a great variety of 
facts which everyone should know—facts bearing upon the conditions of 
daily life upon the farm. It is intended as a helper, an authority and a 
friend in time of need. It should be treasured as one of the most valued 
books in the house and always kept in sight where it can be instantly 
found when wanted. 

The Wool Book of the Middle South is not sold. It is published 
only for those who deal with this company under conditions elsewhere 
stated. 

If it happily serves its purpose of keeping this company and its busi¬ 
ness offers constantly before those who receive it, the care, labor and 
cost of producing it will have been well expended. 

Very respectfully 

THE LEAKSVILLE WOOLEN MILLS. 

May ist, 1900. Leaksville, N. C. 

3 









We manufacture your wool upon the cash or toll plan 
at any time during the year into any of the following 
articles. We pay freight upon wool sent to the mills 
to be manufactured. 


BLANKETS 
CARPETS 
ART SQUARES 
CHEVIOTS 
JEANS 

TAILOR-MADE 
DRESS SKIRTS 
FANCY BED¬ 
SPREADS 
RUGS 

CASSIMERES 
FLANNELS 
UNDERSKIRTS 
BABY BLANKETS 
BUGGY ROBES 
DOUBLE AND 
SINGLE YARNS 



A 



4 


































































































































































































































































INDEX 


Page 

Our Gift to the Wool Growers.3 

List ol Manufactures. x .4 

Biographical Notice of Ex-Governor John Motley Morehead 9 

The Leaksville Mills.12 

A Chapter on Wool.>.15 

The Wrong way to Ship Wool.. . 22 

The Right way to Ship Wool . ..23 

Agricultural Notes.24 

Household Recipes.47 

Some Testimonials.67 

Interest Rules, Weights, Capacities and Latin Phrases . . .75 

Titles of Wedding Anniversaries, Little Tips for Housekeepers 76 
The Longest day, Hints for the Housewife, In Case of 

Accident.77 

To Judge a Horse, Hints on Color and Dress .77 

On Good Looks, Etiquette, Rules for Smoking.78 

The Law of Finding, Business Laws.80 

Events in Our History.81 

The Pith of Many Books, The Grammar in Rhyme . . .82 

Inventions and Inventors ..83 

Statistics..85 

Christianity and the Bible.87 

Ben Franklin’s Epitaph.94 


6 


























THE LATE EX-GOVERNOR JOHN M, MOREHEAD 



7 




























































.t 










- 























GOVERNOR JOHN MOTLEY MOREHEAD. 

(Portrait on Page 7) 

The subject of this brief sketch was born in Pittsylvania County, Va., 
on the 4th day of July, 1796. At a very early stage of his infancy, his 
parents, John Morehead, Esquire, and Obedience Motley Morehead, na¬ 
tive Virginians, removed to North Carolina, settling upon the waters 
of the Dan, in Rockingham County. While Virginia, shares in the re¬ 
flected honor from the career of this remarkable man, yet in a peculiar 
sense was he the son of North Carolina, the State of his adoption and 
nurture. 

Graduating with distinction from the university of his State in 1817, 
he was two years thereafter licensed, and came to the bar at Rockingham, 
where he soon obtained a competent practice, and rapidly rose to be 
master of the first position. As a lawyer, he thoroughly mastered the 
general principles of law, and his mind was of such a practical cast that 
he was one of the best counsellors in the State. No client was ever 
heard to complain of having been misled by his advice. But it was as 
an advocate that he shone with peculiar splendor. His personal pres¬ 
ence was imposing, his face beamed with kindness, and such was his 
peculiar power in addressing the court and jury that in his long legal 
career, he never lost a capital case. In 1822, he was elected to repre¬ 
sent Rockingham in the Legislature, and soon thereafter removed to 
Guilford County, where he quickly became the “ foremost man of all.” 
In 1827, he represented Guilford in the Legislature, being frequently 
returned as its honored representative until 1840, when he was placed 
at the head of the Whig party in the State as its candidate for governor, 
having for his competitor, the Hon. Romulus M. Saunders, the able 
champion of the Democratic party. The close of this, perhaps the most 
memorable political campaign in our annals, resulted in his election 
by a large majority. He was re-elected governor in 1842, his competi¬ 
tor being Louis D. Henry, a man of rare speaking talents. In these 
memorable campaigns, he demonstrated his invincible power upon the 
hustings. Such was his clearness of argument, coupled with a peculiar 
magnetic force, that he was never defeated for any office, for which he 
was a candidate. 

While in the office of governor, he busied himself with plans for the 
welfare of the people of the State. The lunatic aslyum, at Raleigh, was 
built in pursuance of a recommendation in one of his messages to the 
Legislature. The imposing edifices for the comfort of the deaf, dumb and 
blind were projected by his genius and erected under his supervision. In 
1848 Governor Morehead was President of the great Convention in Phila¬ 
delphia which nominated General Taylor for the Presidency. In office 
Governor Morehead was eminently firm and patriotic in the discharge 
of his duties, wielding all his influence for the public good alone, disre¬ 
gardful of the motives of personal ambition. He was a member of the 
Peace Congress which convened in Washington early in 1861, in the hope 
of averting civil war. Later, as a member of the Confederate Congress, 
he displayed such diligence, sagacity and wisdom as to win the highest 
respect and confidence of President Davis, who tendered him the office of 
Secretary of the Treasury of the Confederate States, which proffer he 
declined. 


9 


As a statesman he was eminently patriotic and comprehensive. To 
him more than to any other man is the State indebted for her existing 
works of internal improvement, her benevolent institutions, and the new 
impulse that the cause of education received at his hands. He founded 
Edgeworth Seminary, at Greensboro, N. C., for the education of young 
ladies, supporting it out of his own means during its long and useful 
existence. 

As a man of affairs, his great practical knowledge and experience led 
him into many useful enterprises. He was a pioneer in manufacturing 
in North Carolina, founding the Leaksville Mills in 1837, owning and 
conducting them with success up to the time of his death; in August, 
1866. 

While a member of the House of Commons he secured the passage 
of the charter for the North Carolina Railroad, and at the organization 
of the company was elected its president. He finished this great work 
of building the North Carolina Railroad, 223 miles long through the cen¬ 
ter of the State, turning it over to the State and stockholders, finished 
and equipped, without a dollar of bonded debt on the company, a feat 
which was never accomplished before or since in the history of railroad 
construction. In this more than any other achievement of his remark¬ 
able career, he demonstrated the salient feature of his character—great 
practical vigor. 

On retiring from the presidency of the North Carolina Railroad Com¬ 
pany, in his farewell address to the stockholders, in July, 1855, he said, in 
conclusion: “ Living, I have spent five years of the best portion of my 
life in the service of the North Carolina Railroad; dying, my sincerest 
prayers will be offered up for its prosperity and its success; dead, I wish 
to be buried alongside of it in the bosom of my own beloved Carolina!” 
This wish was realized. 

North Carolina owes him a large debt of gratitude for what he did 
for her, as well when he was in the private walks of life as when charged 
with the duties of high official station. 

As an individual Governor Morehead was a man of principle, pruden¬ 
tial in his habits, was a strict economist of time and means. He was 
temperate in all things, and his moral habits were eminently pure and ele¬ 
vated. No profane language ever issued from his reverential spirit. He 
was social and genial in temper, bland and dignified in his manners. A 
native of Virginia, it was upon her sacred soil the last scene of his event¬ 
ful life transpired. He died at Rockbridge Alum Springs, in August, 
1866, in the seventieth year of his age, exercising to the last a profound 
belief in the “ divinity that shapes our ends.” He was laid to rest “ in 
the bosom of his own beloved Carolina,” amid his monuments of renown, 
that perpetuate his genius and worth, and which ever stimulate a devoted 
patriotism and lofty State pride. 



10 



JOHN M. MOREHEAD 
Treasurer Leaksville Woolen Mills 


II 


THE LEAKSVILLE MILLS 


Sixty-three years ago Gov. Jno. M. Morehead established the Leaks- 
ville Mills, and for more than three-score years they have served their 
patrons and friends, spinning and weaving their cotton, carding their 
wool into rolls, grinding their corn and wheat, pressing the oil from their 
flax-seed, sawing their timber, and converting their lumber into various 
forms of finished products. Through this long period they have shared 
the good and bad fortunes of their friends, and have kept pace with their 
changing wants, tastes, and requirements. To more effectually do this, 
since 1881 very large expenditures have been made to establish and com¬ 
plete The Leaksville Woolen Mills. The success resulting from the care¬ 
ful supervision of every detail of this new branch of business has been 
exceedingly gratifying. Their experience during the past has been that 
when times are hard, people wear More Leaksville Cloth; when times are 
good more people wear Leaksville cloth, and to more promptly meet the 
wants of the rapidly increasing patrons, further additions are being made 
to the producing capacity of the Mills. 

For two generations the honored name of Morehead has been asso¬ 
ciated with the manufacturing interests at Leaksville, Jno. M. Morehead, 
Treasurer of the Leaksville Woolen Mills, being a grandson of Governor 
Morehead. The President of the Company, a native of North Carolina, has 
been associated with the institution since its incorporation and was its former 
Secretary. The present management enter upon this new era of enlargement 
and increased facilities with the experience of the past added to a determina¬ 
tion to maintain the growing popularity of these well-known Mills, by 
keeping their products well up to their high standard of excellence. 

M. J. Tyler, who has been, for a number of years, the general manager 
of our mills is a native Virginian and has had forty years of experience in 
the manufacture of wool. 


12 







WATERPOWER FROM THE SMITH RIVER, LEAKSVILLE, 



13 













HIRAM FOARD 

President Leaksville Woolen Mills Co. 




A CHAPTER ON WOOL. 


In all ages the sheep has been a prominent representative of rural 
husbandry, profitable and eminently respectable, from the time Abel, 
the first keeper of sheep, made to the Lord an acceptable offering of the 
firstlings of his flock—early lambs; and many hundreds of years later 
that great farmer and flock-master, Job, reckoned among his stock four¬ 
teen thousand sheep. At the present day the subject of sheep husbandry 
has lost none of its interest, but is still receiving much careful attention. 

There are many good reasons why every farmer should keep at least 
a few sheep. Sheep-breeding is not exhaustive to the soil, but, on the 
other hand, does much toward preserving its fertility. Few farm animals 
produce more valuable manure than the sheep. The fact that they destroy 
weeds and briers which other animals will not touch, should not be over¬ 
looked. An accurate account of the returns from even a few sheep will 
show a fair profit in favor of sheep-breeding—not so much as a specialty, 
but as an assistant to other farm animals and crops. 

This branch of the farmer’s business, like all the others, returns the 
greater profit in proportion to the amount of careful and intelligent con¬ 
sideration which it receives. The trouble with most of the wool grown 
on our common sheep is that it is too long and hairy, lacking the curl 
and felting qualities which add so much value to the fibre. 

In our markets wool is generally classified as of two kinds: long 
combing or worsted wool—short, or clothing wool. These wools are 
very different in their nature, and are raised for distinctive and very 
different modes of manufacture. The long wools, bred with as little felt¬ 
ing qualities as possible, are worked on combing machinery, and are 
converted into worsted fabrics. They are not suited for making rolls, 
yarns, jeans, cassimeres, flannels, nor blankets. The short wools are 
curly, and their felting qualities render them well adapted for making 
just what the farmer needs. 

The introduction of the Cotswold buck, or other breeds of like 
character, to cross with our already too long and hairy wool, is a step 
in the wrong direction. On account of the large carcass of the Cots¬ 
wold, it has been regarded with favor by some; but this is but an ap¬ 
parent advantage. The distribution of fat and lean in its carcass is of 
such proportions as to render it unable to compete as a mutton sheep 
with smaller bodied, leaner kind. 

Experience has demonstrated beyond doubt that the best sheep to 
cross with our common stock is the Merino. The wool is at once re¬ 
duced in length and has improved felting qualities. Not only does the 
Merino stamp his peculiarity of fleece upon the offspring, but the quality 
of the mutton is alike improved. We do not wish to be understood as 
advocating raising pure-blood Merinos. This would be a step toward the 
opposite extreme. Most of the machinery in this country is not adapted 
to working pure Merino wool. The wool best suited to the needs of the 
farmer, and which brings the most uniform price in the market, is not 
the fine, nor the coarse—but the middle grade. A cross between the 
Merino and our common stock gives a middle grade. There are also 
many pure-blood breeds of the middle grade, any of which are preferable, 
as a pure-blood flock, to the Merino. Of these we mention the South- 
downs, Oxfords, Shropshires, and Hampshires. Experience seems to 

ij 



GROUP OF PURE DELAINE MERINOS 







































































































































































































































point to the Southdown as the best “ all round ” sheep we have. It is a 
hardy little animal, with a tight fleece, which enables it to live out of 
doors the year round, and with a constitution which enables it to keep 
fat on next to nothing. As a mutton sheep it is unexcelled. Its fleece 
classes among the middle grades—not too fine nor too coarse. Pure- 
blood Southdown wool makes nice, smooth, yarn, having good felting 
qualities, plenty of elasticity, and lasts well. 


THE SHROPSHIRE. 

This is an English breed of sheep that has taken kindly to its new 
home, and is also a valuable product of both wool and mutton. The 
Shropshire is the product of cross-breeding the sheep of that shire or 
county with the oldest improved breeds, the Southdowns and Leicester. 
The union of these improved breeds resulted in the formation of a new 
breed partaking of the characteristics of each; thus the Shropshire has 
the size of the Leicester, the form of the Southdown, and the fleece is a 
combination of both, slightly coarser than that of the Southdown, and 
shorter than the Leicester. The fleece also carries more oil than the 
Southdown. The flesh of the Shropshire is dense, and its mutton is re¬ 
garded as second only to the Southdown. They are also exceedingly 



THE SHROPSHIRE. 


prolific, and handle their young better than any large breed of sheep. 
They are also hardy and well adapted to endure a wet climate. Rams 
of this breed can be used to advantage in crossing inferior classes of sheep. 
The character of the wool in many flocks of common sheep could 


17 


be much improved, even without the introduction of any pure-blood into 
them, by killing out the bucks whose fleeces are of a peculiarly long and 
hairy nature. That “ black sheep,” which is found in every flock, comes 
handy also for the table, as the fleece is always of an inferior nature. 
When the time arrives to part with a sheep or lamb, and you have a 
black one in the flock, select him, leaving his more fortunate associates 
upon whom nature has not stamped the imprint of inferiority. We re¬ 
ceive large quantities of wool every year which could be much enhanced 
in value by following the above suggestions. These results could be 
easily accomplished with very little expense. The cost of feeding a sheep 
yielding a long, coarse and hairy fleece is the same as one growing a 
fleece far more valuable; therefore, the wisdom of producing the more 
valuable fleece is apparent. y'- ’ j 3a 

The next in importance to raising a curly fleece is to wash it 
properly. 


WASHING WOOL, 

The life of curly wool is its elasticity. Destroy this, and its wearing 
qualities are at once irreparably impaired. There are two things which 
when given in two large doses, robs it of its elasticity, leaving it lifeless. 
These are heat and alkali. 

Wool should not be washed in water hotter than 120° or 140° Fahren¬ 
heit—in no case hotter than the hand can bear. One hundred and thirty 
degrees F., or comfortably warm to the hand, is a safe rule. Soap, with 
much lye in it, should never be used; the lye eats the life without cutting 
the grease. During the process of washing, it is well to take a handful, 
now and then, and rinse thoroughly. If the wool feels springy when 
pressed with the hand, it is then ready to be rinsed thoroughly in cold 
water. Cold water is far better for this operation than warm. Wool im¬ 
properly washed can never be made as white as it should be. The grease 
left in it becomes “ set,” so that it is impossible to thoroughly remove 
it without injury to the fibre. Wool can be washed with more ease and 
thoroughness immediately after shearing than if allowed to remain till 
the fleece becomes dry. 

SHEARING, 

When parties do not intend to wash their wool, but ship it as it 
comes from the sheep’s back, we would remind them of an important fact 
that should not be overlooked. Wool sheared with the dew on it should 
be exposed to the air till it is dried off. To pack it away in bags, or a 
close place, with the dew or any dampness on it, is very injurious to the 
fibre if left for any length of time in this connection. A process of mould¬ 
ing sets in, giving the wool a musty smell and yellow appearance. To 
further avoid this result, it is better to store unwashed wool in a dry 
place. 

The most improved plan of shearing is to house the flock the night 
before shearing, if they are to be sheared very early in the morning, and 
the wool is not to be washed immediately. As soon as a sheep is shorn, 
clip off the tags from the fleece and roll it up with the skin side out. 
Wrap the tail end around the roll, or tie a string around it. This keeps 
the wool from drying out so much, preserves its softness, and makes sub¬ 
sequent washing more easily done. 


18 


GROUP OP PURE BRED SOUTHDOWNS. 



























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































BURRS, 

While we have the very latest and most improved machinery for re¬ 
moving burrs, there has never yet been invented one that will remove 
them from wool without more or less injury to it and loss of fibre. The 
human hand alone can remove them without particles of wool still ad¬ 
hering to them, and this gentle process alone preserve the fibre from 
injury. But the slowness of hand-picking renders it so expensive that it 
is far more economical to keep the sheep from coming in contact with 
burrs. “ Evil communications ” with no more certainty “ corrupt good 
manners ” than contact with burrs taints the life and character of a valu¬ 
able fleece of wool. 

CONCLUSION. 

The limits of this pamphlet are too brief to enter into many other 
points of value connected with this interesting subject. Experience has 
demonstrated the suggestions herein as worthy of attention, and to over¬ 
look them tends, more or less, to deteriorate a valuable fibre for which 
nature has done so much, but which ofttimes receives very rough treat¬ 
ment from the hands of artificial practice. 

ADVANTAGES OF SHEEP. 

1. They are profitable. 

2. They weaken the soil least, and strengthen it most. ■ 

3. They are enemies of weeds. 

4. The care they need is required when other farm operations are 
slack. 

- 5. The amount of investment need not be large. 

6. They are the quietest and easiest handled of all farm stock. 

7. The returns are quick and many. 

8. Other farm products are made more largely from cash grains, 
while those from the sheep are made practically from pasture. 

9. There is no other product from the farm that has fluctuated so 
lightly in value as good mutton. 

10. By comparison wool costs nothing, for do not the horse and cow, 
in shedding their coats, waste what the sheep save? 

11. A good flock of sheep is the best helper, not only in filling the. 
purse, but in keeping up the condition of the land without really any 
extra expense, that is within reach of the husbandman. One thing should 
therefore be remembered by farmers who have suitable land at their 
command: that they make a very great mistake, and submit to annual 
loss, of more importance than they imagine, in the absence of a good 
flock of improved sheep browsing upon their hills. 

12. The last, but by no means the least, advantage is having a medium 
of exchange, with which to procure any of the numerous and varied pro¬ 
ducts of the Leaksville Woolen Mills at the least possible cost. 

HOW TO SHIP WOOL. 

When it is not convenient to ship wool through one of our agents, 
you can ship it direct to us. We, however, receive so many packages 
not properly marked, thus causing delay in returning goods, that we add 
below a few important details which, if carefully followed, will insure a 
speedy return of goods: 


20 


1. Don’t ship wool by express. 

2. Don’t put instructions inside of a bag. 

3. Don’t mark it with a swinging tag. 

4. Don’t send a single bag without your name in 
full marked on it. Ship wool by freight, and we will pay 
the same to the mills on all packages exceeding ten 
pounds. If sent by express we charge you with it. 

Mark your full name on every bag; initials will not 
answer. When possible it is best to mark your name 
on each bag with a brush and marking-pot. If this can¬ 
not be done, the next best way is to write your full name 
on pieces of white cloth, and sew the cloth on every bag. 

Swinging tags so often get torn off in transporta¬ 
tion, hence should be avoided, if possible. 

Write us by mail the number of bags sent, weights, 
and how you wish it manufactured. Also state whether 
the wool is to be worked on shares or for cash. We 
never work wool on shares unless ordered to do so. 

If above directions are followed, and the wool is 
marked to “Leaksville Woolen Mills, Leaksville, N. C.,” 
we will be responsible for safe delivery of wool and 
goods. 




DESPAIR AT THE 
LEAKSVILLE WOOLEN MILLS 



“ Hello! What’s wrong?” 

“ Plenty of it. Here are some bags without the owner’s name. Now 
how in the world are we going to find out who sent ’em?” 

“ That’s so, and it wont be long before the shipper will be raring 
’round and swearing that he’s been cheated out of his wool.” 


22 

















































JOY AT THE 

LEAKSVILLE WOOLEN MILLS 



“That’s the way to direct a bag of wool. What’does he say in his 
letter?” 

“ He says: ‘ Dear Sirs: I send you five bags of wool, weighing 150 
pounds; make up as follows, etc.’” 

“Hurrah for John Smith! he understands his business.” 


23 






























AGRICULTURAL NOTES 


For the following sugestions upon agriculture and fruit raising we are 
mainly indebted to Mr. W. F. Massey, of the North Carolina Experiment 
Station. He is an eminently practical man, and has done much to in¬ 
augurate, by precept and example, improved and up to date methods of 
farming. 


COW PEAS. 

The advantages of the crop may be thus briefly stated: 

1. It is a nitrogen gatherer. 

2. It shades the soil in summer, keeping it in a condition the most 
suitable to the most rapid nitrification, and leaves it friable and loose, in 
the best condition for a future crop. 

3. It has a large root development, and hence pumps up from great * 
depths and large areas the water, and with it the mineral matter needed 
by the plant. 

4. Its adaptability to all kinds of soils—stiffest clays to most porous 
sands; fertile alluvial bottoms to barren uplands. 

5. It stands the heat and sunshine of southern summers. 

6. Its rapid growth enables the farmer in the South to grow two crops 
a year on the same soil. 

7. If sown thickly it will by its rapid growth and shade effectually 
smother all weeds, and thus serve as a cleansing crop. 

8. It is the best preparatory crop known to the Southern farmer. 
Every kind of crop grows well after it. 

9. It furnishes a most excellent food in large quantities for both man 
and animals. If used regularly in a short system of rotation the soils 
of the South would soon rival, in fertility, their primitive condition. 

The average quantity of nitrogen alone found in an acre of peas in 
experiments made in six Southern States is 122 pounds per acre. 

This doubtless came almost entirely from the air, and at the average 
value paid by farmers for nitrogen in commercial fertilizers would be 
worth alone over $18 per acre. In addition to this there is the phos¬ 
phoric acid and potash made available as plant food, and largely brought 
from depths beyond the range of other crops. The best varieties for 
vines and green manuring are the Unknown, Black, Clay, Red; while the 
strictly bunch varieties, Whippoorwill, Black-Eye, Blue, etc., give larger 
returns in peas. As to the Unknown, we would, however, say that it is 
not yet sufficiently acclimated to make its best growth north of the 
James River, in Virginia. 

Cow peas and pea-vine hay have a very high feeding value, being 
rich in flesh and fat-forming matter, whilst the vines, when made into 
silage, have been proved to be palatable and nutritious food for stock. 
The proper disposition to make of pea vines is to convert them into 
hay or silage and feed to stock, carefully returning the manure to the 
soil. In the absence of stock the vines should be turned under in the 
fall and the land be seeded to crimson clover, wheat, rye, or oats. If the 
land be too poor to bring peas without help, give it 200 or 300 pounds 
to the acre of acid phosphate and kainit in equal parts, and it will make 
a crop. Sow cow peas on all land not planted to some other crop, and 


24 


sow them in the corn-field when laying by the crop. In no other way 
can poor land be so cheaply and permanently improved or the fertility 
of good land be preserved. 

PLOUGHING UNDER. 

On a dead, poor soil it may pay to plow under a mature crop, but 
beware how you plow under a green crop in the South. Ordinarily the 
value of the vines for hay is far greater than their manurial value, since 
they are the best possible cut hay. Do not cut them till the pods are 
well filled. The vines are then at their best. But do not let any ripen 
before you cut, or you will have their leaves dropping. 

CURING THE VINES. 

There has long been a notion that the cow pea is a very hard crop 
to save in the form of hay. This is erroneous. The whole method is 
simply to cut the peas, leaving them as cut without raking into windrows 
or cocks, and when they are dried enough so that a bunch twisted hard 
in the hands shows no sap running to the twist, they will do to go in the 
barn. The barn should be tight, and the peas should not be disturbed 
while heating. They will get very hot, and if the hay is moved with the 
idea of cooling, all will be spoiled. The packing in layers with fodder 
is not a bad plan, but is not necessary, and salt is not only unnecessary, 
but harmful to any hay. Let it severely alone in a close barn and it 
will cure perfectly, even though it gets hot enough to burn your feet. 
“ Care must be taken, however, that there is no dew or other external 
moisture on them when stored.” The important thing is to store them 
while still limp (with no external moisture on them), so that the leaves 
are saved, for these are the best part of the hay, and are commonly lost 
in the usual mode of drying completely outside. 

Having this valuable forage at hand, and the corn fodder to balance 
the ration, we should be able to feed stock in the best manner. The black 
and the clay are good for all purposes, and can be sown from June to 
August. 

STOCK FEEDING THE GREAT NEED OF THE SOUTH. 

One may say, “ If peas are of such value in renovating the soil, why 
not turn them under without cutting? ” The plowing under of a mass 
of green vegetation in a warm climate, and especially on a sandy soil, is 
apt to result in the evolution of organic acid to such an extent as at times 
to render the land so treated for a time wholly unproductive. But the 
most important point is that we thus bury a crop worth usually $20 per 
acre as food for stock. The best way is to cure the peas as hay, feed 
them to stock and save all the manure carefully to be returned to the 
soil. The slavish dependence of the Southern farmer on the fertilizer 
manufacturer has been largely brought about by the failure to make the 
feeding of stock an important part of our work. Stock feeding and the 
saving of manure lie at the foundation of all successful agriculture. Or¬ 
ganic matter and plant food in the form of barnyard and stable manure 
have never been fully imitated in chemical matters alone. There are few 
localities where less cropping and more cattle raising would not yield 
greater returns. 


25 



The Essentials of Successful Agriculture in the South 














CARE OF HOME-MADE MANURE. 

Raise more pea vine hay and feed it to cows in winter instead of starv¬ 
ing them on shucks and straw, and thus improve the value of your 
manure, to say nothing of the improvement of the animal so fed. But it 
is not enough to make rich manure by good feeding. It must be handled 
so as to preserve its value, for the nitrogen in the manure leaves us very 
rapidly under certain conditions. If thrown out under the eaves where 
the rain falls on it, the portion of it most valuable for plants soon washes 
away. If thrown out in piles it soon heats, and the ammonia flies off into 
the air, thus losing that which costs 15 cents a pound to get in commer¬ 
cial fertilizer. The best place for manure is on the field where some 
plant can get the use of it. If you have a crop of crimson clover or rye 
to be followed in the spring with corn, scatter the manure as made on 
these crops; both they and the corn following will get the benefit. 

The next best way is to let the manure accummulate in the stable, 
always keeping sufficient bedding to absorb the urine. 

PASTURE. 

The keeping of live stock necessitates pasture for them in summer, 
and there is no section in which a permanent pasture cannot be main¬ 
tained if the proper grasses are used and they are properly treated. In 
all the upper red clay country the main reliance should be in orchard 
grass for a permanent pasture. The seeding must be heavy, for the sod 
should be quickly and thickly made. For the upland section a mixture 
of orchard grass, red top, and Virginia blue grass is excellent, sown one 
bushel (14 pounds) per acre. Do not sow any white clover, as it is not 
desirable where horses are to be pastured, slobbering them too much. 
Sow in September or October, harrowing in with smoothing harrow. 
Do not pasture it till late the following summer, and then but little. Best 
to give the grass a chance to seed, and increase the soil. The grasses 
named do not succeed so well on the level lands of the East. The Ber¬ 
muda grass, though hated by the cotton farmer, is the best pasture grass 
for the East. If care is used it can be kept out of the cotton fields, as it 
does not make seed here. It is a summer grass only, and needs the mix¬ 
ture of the Texas blue grass to make a winter pasture. While the Ber¬ 
muda grass should never be allowed in the upper red clay lands where 
other grasses can be grown, there is no better grass for pasture where it 
is at home, in the eastern section. 

CURING CLOVER HAY. 

The chief points to be observed are: (1) Cut as soon after blossom¬ 
ing as the state of the weather in your locality will admit; (2) never let 
the hay lie exposed to the sun long enough to crisp the leaves, but let 
the curing be done in the windrow, cock or barn; (3) never haul any in 
when damp with dew, either in morning or evening; (4) pack tightly 
in a clean barn, and on no account disturb it while heating. 

SECOND-CROP CLOVER. 

When not wanted to plow under for wheat, let it decay on the 
ground. It forms a mulch, thus preventing winter killing, and enriches 
the ground for future crops. 


27 


CRIMSON OR GERMAN CLOVER, 


The value of this clover arises not so much as a hay crop, though it 
makes good hay if cut as soon as it blooms, but for winter pasturage and 
plowing under in the spring. It is an annual. A stubble field is one of 
the best places to sow the crimson clover. While it is better to run a 
harrow over the surface it is not necessary. The seed may be broadcast 
upon the stubble without preparation. The seed should be sown in 
August. In standing corn or cotton or some other late cultivated crop 
is the best place to sow crimson clover, since we have all the conditions 
for growth in a well prepared soil, and have also the needed shade. 
Where a red clay land, strong with potash, is kept successively in corn, 
it would be well to sow crimson clover just as the corn is laid by. This 
will give good winter pasture if needed, and a good sod to turn under 
before replanting corn the following spring, thus improving the land and 
gaining a crop. Many failures in producing good stands of clover are 
due to the lack of potash in the land. While an average red clay soil is 
strongly impregnated and tenaciously holds this chemical, yet it can be 
exhausted, in which event fertilizers containing a large per cent, of potash 
should be used. 


THE APPLE. 

There are few sections where the apple cannot be grown in some 
varieties profitably, at least for home use. Soil exhaustion is the cause 
of most failures in fruit raising. Trees in the orchard need feeding, for 
a good crop of apples will remove more mineral matter from the soil 
than three crops of wheat. The cultivation of the apple is given with some 
detail, as it is essentially the typical American fruit. The conditions, which, 
if carefully observed in regard to the selection of varieties, planting and 
general care to the point ot maturity, may be equally applied to the other 
standard fruits, such as the Peach, Pear, Apricot, Plum, Cherry and Quince. 


WHAT AGE TO PLANT TREES. 

Buy one year old trees of all kinds of fruit, and head them not over 
two feet from the ground. At this age they are easier to transplant, and 
are more apt to live and grow well. 


PREPARATION OF THE LAND FOR THE ORCHARD. 

The preparation of the land before planting an apple orchard is of 
the greatest importance, for any lack of preparation before planting can 
hardly be remedied after the trees are set. The chief point in the prepara¬ 
tion of the land is deep plowing of the soil. The land for the orchard 
should be prepared early in the fall, by plowing as deeply as a pair of 
horses can pull a plow, and behind this team another team in same fur¬ 
row, with a subsoil plow to break the clay still deeper, till the whole land 
is broken to a depth of 15 inches. This deep preparation will be the best 
investment the planter can make in setting the orchard. 


28 


WHEN AND HOW TO PLANT. 

In this climate during tKe fall is the best time to plant. As our soil 
never freezes deeply in winter, the trees will be renewing their feeding 
roots during the winter, and will thus be ready to grow off rapidly in the 
spring. 

If the land has been properly plowed and subsoiled, there is no need 
of making extra large and deep holes. In setting the trees the earth 
should be rather on the dry side than wet, for it is hard to set a tree in 
wet soil. The chief point to observe in planting is to get the earth 
closely packed about the roots. Never put manure in contact with the 
roots. Good surface soil is all that is needed about the roots, and any 
manure to be used should be put on top the soil as a mulch. Used in this 
way the manure is very important in preserving moisture and feeding 
the tree. It is a good idea to soak the roots in water before planting. 

CULTIVATION OF THE APPLE ORCHARD. 

During the early years of the life of the orchard the thing most 
needed is a good healthy growth. To encourage this well developed 
growth, good cultivation is important. During the time while the trees 
are small there are some hoed crops that can be well grown in it. Corn 
is too tall a crop and too long on the ground. Low-growing garden 
vegetables are far better, especially those that come off the ground in 
early and mid-summer, for the cultivation of an orchard should cease by 
the first of July, so that the growth of the season can be properly ripened. 
At this time the orchard should be sown in peas, and the peas should be 
allowed to die on the land for a soil cover during the winter, and to be 
plowed under in the spring, and the cultivation renewed. This cultivation 
till July, and sowing in peas, should be kept up till the trees have made 
growth enough to be getting into bearing shape. Then a check to the 
rapid growth will tend to the formation of fruit spurs and fruit bearing. 
This, with most varieties, will be when seven or eight years old. We 
would then seed the land down to grass, using a mixture of orchard 
grass, red top and Kentucky blue grass. As fast as the grass gets tall 
enough run the mower through the orchard, and let the cut grass lie to 
decay and form a mulch over the whole land. 

DO NOT PASTURE THE ORCHARD. 

If you intend to turn stock into the orchard to pasture on the grass, 
you will defeat the very object for which the grass is used. If you can¬ 
not resist the temptation to pasture the land, you had better not put it in 
grass, but keep on with the cultivation. Hogs, with noses jeweled to pre¬ 
vent rooting, may at times be allowed in the orchard to gather the wormy 
fruit, but nothing further than this should be attempted. 

MANURING THE ORCHARD. 

During the early years of tree’s life there is no particular objection 
to the use of stable manure in the orchard, for growth is then what is 
wanted. But after the trees are well developed there will be an abundance 
of nitrogenous matter from the plowing under of the peas annually. The 


2 5 




carrying off of potash in the fruit crop is very heavy, much heavier than 
in the case of grain fields. There is no better application that can be 
made to an orchard than hardwood ashes. Raw-bone meal is also an ex¬ 
cellent dressing for the orchard, and the best application probably that 
can be used as an annual dressing is 400 pounds per acre of equal parts 
of bone meal and kainit. 

WHAT VARIETIES OF APPLES SHALL WE PLANT? 

This is about the first question a man is apt to ask when about to 
plant an orchard, and is about the hardest one to answer for all localities. 
If the orchard is designed fot family use, then one will want a greater 
variety than if it is intended for growing apples for market. Apples like 
the red Limbertwig are certain bearers and heavy bearers, but people do 
not want them when they can get better apples. True, the market will 
take a very inferior apple, like the Ben Davis, when it is handsome and 
a good keeper, and Ben Davis being both, has come to be grown more 
largely than most other apples. 

The following list comprises only those that have been found adapted 
to our section: 


SUMMER APPLES. 

Carolina Red June.—A bright red and handsome apple, and salable 
as a market fruit. 

Early Harvest.—Larger than the last, and bright yellow in color. One 
of the best. 

Hames.—A large and fine looking Georgia apple, ripening among the 
earliest. 

Red Astrakan.—Large, deep red, and one of the most salable early 
apples. 

May Yellow.—The earliest apple grown. Small in size and yellow 
in color. 

Hunge.—One of the finest late summer or early autumn apples. 

Horse.—One of the most popular late summer apples in all parts 
o f the State. 

Yellow Transparent.—This yellow apple promises to be the leading 
early apple. It is of good size and quality, and is one of the earliest 
bearers. The trees being naturally of small size makes it valuable for 
small home grounds. 

Summer Pearmain.—One of the finest quality of apples of its season. 
Ripe in August and very good indeed. 


FALL APPLES. 

Bonum.—Known all over the State as Magnum Bonum, but the rules 
of the American Pomological Society have , cut it shorter as to name. 
Mr. T. T. Lyons, a noted fruit-grower of Michigan, once said to the 
writer: “Your North Carolina Bonum apple is the best fall apple in 
the United States.” While we did not fully agree with him, we do con¬ 
sider the Bonum as one of the best fall apples, and one better suited to 
all parts of the State than any other apple. 

Buckingham.—A very large and showy apple, and of good quality 
ripening in September. 


30 


Carolina Beauty.—An apple of fine quality, which originated in the 
eastern part of this State, and hence may be expected to do well in that 
section. 

Rome Beauty.—A showy, late fall or early winter apple of medium 
quality, but one that will sell on account of its bright color. 

Hoover.—A large, very dark red apple of good quality, ripe in Sep¬ 
tember. 


WINTER APPLES. 

Paragon, or Arkansas Mammoth Black.—An apple of large size and 
showy appearance, which promises to be one of the best for the western 
section of the State. 

Albemarle Pippin.—We only mention this noted apple here to say 
that it succeeds well in the mountain coves of the western part of the 
State, but is worthless elsewhere. Where it succeeds there is no finer 
apple, either for home or market. 

Ben Davis.—This is one of the most showy apples, and the tree is a 
regular bearer everywhere and sells well, but in our opinion it is about as 
poor an apple as can be grown, and we do not advise it for family use. 
It is now being so largely grown that its inferior quality must soon be¬ 
come familiar to all buyers, and we do not advise its planting in large 
numbers, even for market. Its redeeming quality is that it will give 
apples of showy appearance when all others fail. 

McCuller’s Winter.—This promises to be one of the best apples for 
the sandy lands of the eastern part of the State. 

Edwards.—This is a seedling of the Hall, and twice as large as that 
variety and fully as good and as good a keeper. 

Mattamuskeet.—This apple originated in the peaty lands of the coast 
section, and is only suited to that region, where it is one of the best of 
winter apples. 

Nansemond Beauty.—A Virginia apple that does well in this State. 
Season, early winter here. 

Royal Limbertwig.—A great improvement on the old Red Limber- 
twig. A good keeper and a fairly good apple. 

Winesap.—One of the very best winter apples, and one of the most 
salable. There is a new variety known as Stayman's Winesap, which is 
claimed to be a great improvement on the old one. I have not grown 
this, but have grown the old Winesap, and it is as good as any I have 
ever tried. 

York Imperial.—This is one of the best keepers and a showy apple, 
and is taking high rank as a shipping apple. It has been called erron¬ 
eously by some Johnson’s Fine Winter apple, but the foregoing is its 
true name. This and the Winesap are about the best market apples that 
can be grown here. 

Pine Stump.—This is a very fine flavored late fall or early winter 
apple, but is not a late keeper. Its fine quality will sell at any time. 

Van Hoy.—A Forsyth county apple that is highly esteemed by those 
who have grown it, and is considered to be one of the best large winter 
apples. 

Yates.—A small sized Georgia apple, of fine quality and good keeping 
character. It is a good heavy bearer. 


3i 


CRAB APPLES. 

Crab apples are very ornamental as trees, and the fruit is useful for 
preserves and jelly and for cider. The best preserving sorts are the Red 
and the Yellow Siberian and Transcendant, while for cider making the 
Hughes’s Virginia Crab, Waugh’s Crab and Jones’s Cider are the best. 


GATHERING AND MARKETING APPLES. 

There is no one point in apple-orcharding in which there is so gen¬ 
eral a need for information as in the gathering and handling of the apple 
crop. The practice of the growers in the best apple sections of the State 
in handling their apples is simply ruinous to their profitable sale. Shak¬ 
ing the apples from the trees and gathering them from the ground, and 
then dumping them in bulk into the body of a springless wagon to sell 
to dealers in the mountain towns is a common practice. And when the 
, dealers get hold of them they dump them loosely into large crates, and 
ship them to the towns of the eastern part of the State, where they usually 
arrive bruised and worthless, and the shippers wonder why North Caro¬ 
lina apples do not sell in competition with the Northern fruit. Apples 
of all sizes and colors, good and bad, knotty and perfect, are dumped into 
the same receptacle, a crate not fit to ship apples in at all, and the only 
wonder is that they bring anything at all. And they do bring very little 
when good fruit is abundant. Go to a groceryman in Raleigh and price 
apples, and he will say: “ Here are some good Northern apples for so 
much, and here are some stuff from the mountains of North Carolina, 
which you can have for half price or less.” And the difference in the 
price is not because the apples from the mountains are inferior sorts to 
the others—though there are usually too many poor Limbertwigs among 
them—but because of the condition of the fruit. The Northern apples 
are handled and shipped by men who know how to pack and handle 
apples and they come to hand in good condition. They are properly 
culled and the barrel has in it but one variety of apple, and the name is 
branded on the barrel, for they are not shipped in crates to be cut and 
bruised for lack of tight packing. 

HOW TO GATHER APPLES. 

Never shake the fruit from the tree and never pack for market any 
apples that have fallen from the tree. Gather every apple by hand and 
place it carefully in a basket. The apple growers North use ladders, 
made on the place, of a light pine pole split some distance from the butt 
end, and rungs stuck in to keep the lower end apart, while the entire 
upper part is but a single pole with rungs stuck through. This kind of a 
ladder can be stuck in anywhere on the tree and makes it possible to 
reach all the apples. It is simply like a long wagon pole with rungs 
stuck through. The gatherer takes a light basket and lets it down by a 
rope when full. The barrels are taken into the orchard and packed right 
there. The name of the apple is marked on the bottom of the barrel, 
which is to be the top when opened. A layer of apples is then placed, 
stem down, on the bottom all over, so as to make a good appearance 
when opened, but the same quality must run all through the barrel. 
The apples are then poured carefully into the barrel, which is 


32 


shaken gently to settle them, and the barrel is filled a little above the 
top. The head is now laid on, and with a screw press it is forced in, 
and the apples are then perfectly tight. The hoops are driven down tight 
and the head linings nailed in place, and when the barrel is opened after 
long journeyings it will be found with the imprint of the head on the 
upper layer of fruit, showing that no apple has moved. The tight packing 
is not possible in a' slatted crate made of laths, such as are sent to Raleigh 
from the western part of the State. 

KEEPING WINTER APPLES. 

The process just described for packing for market is the best that 
can be devised f<?r keeping the apples. Apples that are to be kept for 
home use will keep better tightly packed in the barrels in the orchard 
as fast as gathered. If not sold at once, pile the barrels on their sides 
in a cool, airy place under shelter, and as the weather gets colder put 
them in a tight house, on their sides, with a thick layer of straw under 
them, and, in very cold snaps, a thick layer over them. This will keep 
them in any weather we have if in a close building, for it takes a very 
low temperature to freeze an apple packed in a close barrel and shel¬ 
tered. There is more danger of keeping them too warm than too cold. 
Just at or a little above the freezing point of water will keep them all right. 

Tight barrels, tightly packed, are the only packages fit for winter 
apples, and any attempt to ventilate the barrels is worse than useless. 
Never ship them in lath crates if the fruit is expected to sell well. 

THE SWEET POTATO CROP. 

In the South, the sweet potato is more a crop of the farm than the 
garden, but its production for the northern market belongs to the trucker 
rather than to the farmer. This is one of those crops with which glass 
can be used with profit and success. We, years ago, abandoned the 
practice of starting the plants in a manure heated hot bed, because the 
practice encouraged the growth of the rot fungus, and we had more 
trouble from the “black shank” in the plants, which is caused by the 
same fungus that afterwards attacks the roots, when manure was used. 
We have had little of this trouble since we began to grow the plants 
in a cold frame, depending entirely on the heat from the sun through 
glass sashes to start the growth. We bed the potatoes in the cleanest 
sand obtainable and cover with the same an inch or more above the 
top of the potatoes. The bed is then watered well with lukewarm water, 
and the sashes put on and kept close till signs of sprouting appear. After 
this, air must be given whenever the sun shines, and the bed must be 
kept moist by repeated waterings or by full exposure during warm rains. 
In this way we have never failed to get good plants. They make far 
better roots in the sand than they would if bedded in a rich soil, and 
transplant more readily. We consider April ist as early enough to start 
the beds in the latitude of central Virginia, but southward it would be 
better to start a little earlier, or six weeks before time to set in the open 
ground. There is seldom any gain by too early setting of the plants, 
for the potato is a tender plant and needs to have the ground warm to 
make its best growth. This is one of the crops for which deep plowing 
is not best. The best roots are made where they have a hard bottom to 


33 


form against to prevent their becoming long and crooked. For the 
same reason, the old practice of making a very high hill is an error. The 
best crops are grown where .the ridges are never made higher than most 
of our farmers hill cotton or corn, and the work can be done with the 
same tools. Some wait for what they call a “season for setting the 
plants”—that is, they want the land wet from rain. This is an error, 
for the plants set in wet land will often get a hard crust around them that 
checks their growth. We prefer to have the soil merely in good 
working order. The plants are drawn carefully from the bed, and at 
once set in buckets or tubs of water. A boy takes a bucket along and 
hands to the planter each plant dripping with water. It is set deeply, 
and puddles itself into the soil.. Only the tip of the plant is left out of the 
ground, and the earth is closely pressed to it. The previous prepara¬ 
tion of the soil is of the greatest importance. We would have said that 
the plowing should be shallow, but it should be repeated and thorough, 
so as to mix the broadcasted manure very completely with the soil. 
The sweet potato is one of the crops which need little application of 
nitrogen. An excess of nitrogenous matter in the soil leads to a rank 
growth of vines without a corresponding crop of roots. We do not 
mean that sweet potatoes cannot be grown on rich land. If the me¬ 
chanical texture is all right, it matters little how fertile the soil, pro¬ 
vided the fertility is well balanced. The plant can use the nitrogen profit¬ 
ably if the ration is balanced with a sufficient amount of potash and 
phosphoric acid. It is the excess of nitrofen that causes the plants to 
run to vines. The form in which artificial nitrogen is supplied is also 
of importance. It should all be in some good organic form, as cotton¬ 
seed meal, blood, tankage, etc., and no nitrate of soda should be used, 
as the sodium salts are not good for this crop. Potash is the most im¬ 
portant element. 

I know that the practice has become common among the growers 
of the Eastern Shore to use large quantities of salt in the preparation of 
a compost for the potato crop, and that manv have the notion that salt 
is a good manure. The fact is, that in the way the salt is used in com¬ 
post beds with woods earth during the winter, the salt is mainly gone 
by the time the compost is applied to the land, and the only good it 
does is to render soluble certain matters in the vegetable matter that 
it is mixed with. This could as well be accomplished by the use of 
kainit in the same way. But the use of chlorides has a tendency to de¬ 
teriorate the quality of the potato. The fad for the use of salt on the 
sweet potato crop that has been so prevalent among Virginia sweet 
potato growers will soon be a thing of the past, as they begin to find 
the practice tends to exhaustion of the soil. While potash is of the 
greatest importance to the crop, the form in which it is applied is as 
important as it is for the tobacco crop. We would never use potash 
except in the form of sulphate unless it could be cheaply gotten in the 
form of hard wood ashes, which is doubtless the best shape to get it 
if they can be had cheaply enough in comparison with the sulphate. The 
best way to prepare the land is to apply broadcast a good coat of leaf 
mold from a piney woods, which was piled up the fall before in layers 
with lime. Then apply all the other fertilizers in the furrow under the 
beds. If a good coat of lime and leaf mould compost is added, all 
over the land, there will be no need to use any nitrogen for the crop. 
Otherwise, we would then apply a mixture of acid phosphate and sul- 


34 


phate of potash in the furrow. Make the mixture 1,600 pounds of acid 
phosphate to 400 pounds of high-grade sulphate, and use 400 pounds 
per acre in the furrow. Lap two furrows over the first and flatten them 
with a light roller before setting the plants, so that the moisture will 
be retained better in the early stages of growth. As soon as the plants 
start to grow, start the cultivator close to the rows. Keep the culti¬ 
vator running, and there will be little need for hand hoes. In laying by, 
use a cotton sweep to.finish up with. Toss the vines over into the alter¬ 
nate rows out of the way, go through with the sweep, and then re¬ 
verse the vines to the finished rows and complete the work in the 

alternate rows. For potatoes to keep all winter, do not depend on the 
spring-set plants, but prepare a new area and plant it with cuttings from 
the early plants in July. This can be rapidly done by running out and 
fertilizing the beds. Then split them with a plow and lay the cuttings 
along the furrow and plow the land back on them. Let a hand follow 
the plow and tramp the earth tight to the cuttings. Work these just as 
the early planted ones. The best seed for the next year’s bedding is 
produced from these cuttings set in August, so as to have the roots all 
of small size. There will be far less of the black shank in plants grown 
from these, as the spores are not so apt to be transmitted on the cut¬ 
tings. The rot is promoted by the constant repetition of the crop on 
the same land, for the soil becomes infected with the spores of the fungus. 
The best preparation for the potato crop is a pea or clover crop the year 
before, the stubble to be turned over in preparation for the crop and 

dressed with lime. In lack of this, use the lime with the wood’s earth. 

If the crop is grown to complete maturity, and the intention is to 
store for winter, the handling becomes a matter of the greatest import¬ 
ance. When the first frost nips the tops, cut them off closely at once, 
as a saphrophytic fungus starts on the decaying vines and will be com¬ 
municated to the roots if they remain attached. Dig in dry and sunny 
weather, and let the potatoes have full exposure to the sun during the 
day. Do not allow any throwing into piles, but let them simply lie along 
the rows. Have crates to gather them and haul them in, and never 
dump them into or out of a cart. In fact, handle them as tenderly as 
eggs. This is the important point in the keeping of the roots. If 
grown on a large scale, a potato house with slatted shelves for storing 
and a flue and furnace to raise the temperature when needed, is a 
necessary adjunct. But we have kept them till June banked out doors 
with only a board shed over the banks. Put down a thick layer of pine 
straw, or other straw, if you have no pine leaves. Pile the potatoes care¬ 
fully on this— not more than twenty-five bushels in a heap. Cover thickly 
with the straw, and build a board shelter over all to keep off the rain. Put 
no earth over the potatoes till they have had a chance to sweat and dry off 
unless the weather should turn very cold, and in this event cover well 
except a small space at the top. After the potatoes have had time to 
dry off under the cover of straw, put on a thick cover of dry soil. The 
shelter overhead will keep this dry, and dry earth keeps out more cold 
than wet earth. If handled properly in digging and burying, the pota¬ 
toes will usually keep well by this method, provided that no diseased 
roots are put in, and no cut or bruised ones. In growing potatoes for 
the Northern markets, even as far south as Baltimore, it is necessary 
to grow the dry yellow varieties, as they have not yet learned the superior¬ 
ity of our Southern yams. When the city people cease to spoil a 


35 


potato by steaming it, they may learn to appreciate the soft and sugary 
yams, which will not submit to such cookery. I was amused lately at 
the statement of Mr. W. F. Brown, in the “Practical Farmer,” that the 
difference between the Southern yam and the sweet potato was that the 
yam is an underground stem, while the sweet potato is a root. Now, 
as the Southern yams are simply varieties of the same plant as the 
Northern sweet potato, both being Ipomcea Batatas, Mr. B.’s statement 
is an error. He has probably never seen a Southern yam, and sup¬ 
posed it to be a real yam, like the Chinese. In that case he would have 
been correct, as the yam is a tuber or underground stem, while the 
sweet potato, in all its varieties, is a tuberous root, the upper part of which 
is stemlike in its nature. W. F. Massey. 

SECOND CROP AND LATE IRISH POTATOES. 

June is the proper time to prepare the land and plant Irish potatoes 
for winter keeping, and also to prepare the seed and get ready the land 
for planting the second crop of Irish potatoes, from which the best 
seed is raised for the early spring crop. For winter potatoes prepare 
the land and plant as for the spring crop. We prefer to plant whole 
medium sized potatoes rather than cut sets. If, however, the seed is too 
large to plant whole, do not cut to less than three eyes. It is unreason¬ 
able to expect strong, vigorous plants, from small bits of seed with only 
one eye, and without strong vigorous plants, especially at this time of the 
year, it is useless to expect a good yield of tubers. Last year’s crop was 
such an exceptionally large one and so over-supplied the market that we 
anticipate there will be the usual revulsion, and instead of being a full 
crop planted this year there will be only a small area set out and the 
price will improve. At any rate, plant a full crop for home use, if you 
do not set out some for the market. Remember that this crop is one of the 
few crops which make a better yield from the liberal use of commercial 
fertilizer, if that fertilizer be rich in potash, than from the use of farm¬ 
yard manure directly on the crop. Farm-yard manure should be applied 
to the previous crop to enrich the land. If used directly on the potatoes, 
they are very apt to be scabby. 

The second crop Irish potatoes* for which there has been so large a 
demand for the past few years and which demand is likely to continue, as 
they make the best seed from which to raise the early spring crop, should 
be prepared for this month by selecting from the early planted crop, at 
digging time, all the medium small-sized potatoes. These selected 
potatoes should be spread out in a shady situation, and there remain ex¬ 
posed to the atmosphere until they become green. They should then be 
bedded down in a shady, moist place on some nice light soil just suf¬ 
ficient to cover them, and be allowed to remain until they sprout. In the 
meantime, the land inteded to be planted should be well prepared and 
fertilized. Lay off the rows two feet six inches apart and throw out the 
soil so as to leave a deep furrow in which to plant the sprouted sets. 
When the sets have just nicely sprouted, take them up from the seed-bed, 
set them out in the bottom of the furrow and cover them lightly with soil 
and make this firm upon them either by tramping or running a small 
roller in the furrow. Set out in this way, few will fail to grow. As the 
plants grow, work in the soil from the sides of the furrow until a level 
surface is obtained. The end of June and beginning of July is the best 

36 


time to set out this second crop, and they will then mature sufficiently 
for seed before frost. 

TOBACCO CULTURE AND FERTILIZATION. 

The methods of tobacco culture and curing are so various that it will 
be impossible, in a short article, to give any directions that will be of 
general use. The preparation of the soil for the crop, and its subsequent 
cultivation, and the* curing of the crop, all vary with the region and the 
kind of tobacco that is grown; and to some extent, the fertilization will 
also vary with these different conditions. For the growing of the heavy 
dark leaf, a soil abounding in humus, and on which a growth of legumes 
has been buried, is essential, while for the golden leaf tobacco, a smaller 
amount of nitrogenous matter, is needed; but no matter what kind of to¬ 
bacco is grown, there is one requisite for all, anl this is potash in an avail¬ 
able form. All growers understand the need for an abundance of potash 
for this crop, but it is not so generally known that the form in which 
the potash is supplied is more important than the potash itself. Farmers 
are too ready to assume that a low price per ton means cheap potash, and 
hence when they want potash, and see that kainit in the crude state is of¬ 
fered at about one-fourth the price of the muriate and high grade sulphate, 
that it is the cheaper form, they do not reflect that the market price is 
based upon the amount of actual potash which the article contains. 
As the potash salts are all imported from Germany, the price at the 
seaboard is nearly uniform for the potash contained in each. But when 
the salts are shipped to the interior, the cost of the potash in each 
form rapidly changes by reason of freight charges. It costs just as much 
to freight a ton of kainit, containing 12 per cent, of potash, as it does to 
freight a ton of muriate or sulphate containing 50 per cent, of potash. Any 
one, then, can see that the potash in the kainit rapidly becomes more 
costly than that in the concentrated forms; but this increase in price is not 
the chief reason why tobacco-growers especially should avoid the use of 
the crude salts of potash. Kainit has associated with it a very large per 
centage of the chloride of sodium (common salt). If this is applied 
to the tobacco crop, it will result in serious damage to the market value 
of the leaf, as it is well known that the chlorides are injurious to tobacco, 
particularly to that which is to be burned. This will be noticed to a less 
extent when the muriate is used; but the muriate is still a chloride, and 
to be safe, the chlorides should be entirely avoided, and potash should 
be applied to the tobacco crop only in the shape of sulphate. There 
are two forms, too, of the sulphate, one of which has about 30 per cent, 
of potash, while the other or high grade has 50 per cent. It is always 
a matter of economy to buy the high grade sulphate, and if anyone offers 
sulphate or potash at a particularly low price, you may be sure that it 
is the low grade, and that if far in the interior, the low price is only ap¬ 
parent, and that the actual potash costs more than in the higher priced 
high grade. The most complete fertilizer experiments on record are 
those of the late Major Ragland, for the Virginia Station, and those 
made at the North Carolina Station. In the Virginia experiments, it 
was found that the form in which the nitrogen was applied, had as 
important a bearing upon the profit of the crop as the form of the potash, 
and that the organic nitrogen from dried blood gave by far the best 
results. The greatest profit per acre was where the soil was fertilized 
with the following mixture per acre: 


37 




Dried blood, 160 pounds. 

Sulphate of potash, 120 pounds. 

Acid phosphate, 114 pounds. 

This gave an increased value to the crop over an unfertilized plat of 
$60.62 per acre, while the actual cost of the application was but $8.25. 
Where nitrate of soda was used, to the same value as the dried blood, as 
a source of nitrogen, the profit of the crop was not more than two-thirds 
as much as from the application of the dried blood, showing that the 
sodium salts even when not in the shape of a chloride, may have an in¬ 
jurious effect, and refuting the notion that some are persistently advo¬ 
cating that soda can take the place of potash in any of our cultivated 
plants. The soda in the nitrate did not help out the potash at all, but 
really retarded its effects when it was applied in connection with it as a 
nitrate, possibly by checking the nitrification of the organic nitrogen 
already in the soil, while the ammonia in the blood simply promoted the 
complete nitrification of all at hand. In the fertilization of the tobacco 
crop, it is important not only to avoid the chlorides, but the chloride 
of sodium in particular, and to use potash, which is the most important 
element for this crop, only in the form of a high grade sulphate. 

W. F. Massey. 

FARM MANAGEMENT. 

Through the courtesy of Mr. J. F. Jackson, editor of the “ Southern 
Planter,” Richmond, Va., we cull from a year’s file of this valuable paper 
many practical suggestions for farm management during each month of 
the year. The “ Southern Planter ” is one of the most valuable agri¬ 
cultural papers we know. It is a matter of regret that limited space re¬ 
quires condensing the articles from which the following suggestions were 
taken: 

SEASONABLE EMPLOYMENT. 

WORK FOR JANUARY. 

The month of January being the one in which, as a rule, the least 
work can be done out of doors on a farm in the South, is a most con¬ 
venient one for a review of the results of the last year’s work and a 
planning of the work of the coming year. Successful farming being so 
largely dependent on climatic conditions, which vary from year to year, 
it is impossible to lay down hard and fast rules deduced from past failures 
or successes; but these can and do establish principles which have great 
bearing upon future operations, whatever may be the climatic conditions. 
A very dry or a very wet year is prejudicial to a successful crop. These 
facts cause the thoughtful farmer to inquire as to how the moisture can 
be conserved in the event of a dry year coming upon us, and how injury 
from excessive wet can be best prevented if that should be the character 
of any particular year. 

The growing danger of drouth is due largely to the reckless de¬ 
struction of the forests. Steps ought to be taken everywhere and by 
everyone to prevent the unnecessary destruction of timber. Deep plow¬ 
ing and sub-soil plowing is a remedy within reach of each individual, and 
this remedy has the advantage that if not needed to prevent injury from 
drouth, it is equally effective in preventing injury from too great moisture. 
Land which is broken deeply and subsoiled will absorb and hold winter 

38 


and spring rains, and yield this up to the growing crops as needed; and 
by careful and frequent cultivation this moisture can be so conserved as 
to last over a long period of drouth. If excessive rains are the character¬ 
istic of the season, they will sink deeply into the ground, and, after the 
soil and subsoil are saturated, any surplus will pass off into the depths 
of the earth, and thence into the rivers, without washing and wasting 
the land. Time may be well spent during this month in plowing deeply 
and subsoiling land intended to be put into crops this year whenever the 
land is dry enough to permit of this work to be done. Do not, however, 
make the mistake of plowing wet land, for this does not save, but makes 
work, and is certain to result in an unsatisfactory crop. The importance 
of deep plowing and subsoiilng is not half so fully realized as it ought 
to be. 

Another important work which should have attention this month is 
the planning of the rotation of the crops to be raised this year. Because 
a field has produced a fair crop of corn, or wheat, or other crop last year, 
is no reason why it should be called upon to produce a similar crop this 
year, but rather a reason why it should not be asked to do so. If a 
judicious rotation of crops is maintained, the exhaustion of land is a very 
slow process, and with the application of manure or fertilizer practically 
an impossible thing. Except upon rich alluvial river bottoms, which 
are practically inexhaustible, corn or small grain crops should not sue-' 
ceed each other without the intervention of a clover or grass crop or a 
root crop. The same rule applies to cotton and tobacco crops. On se¬ 
lecting the land to be cropped this year, let these considerations have 
weight, and as far as possible observe the rule of rotation. 

Carefully save and store in compact heaps all the manure from the 
stable and pens, and increase the bulk of this by adding to it all the trash, 
leaves and other waste products of the farm, and good woodmould and 
vegetable refuse. If the ground should become frozen, take the oppor¬ 
tunity to haul out the compost heaps and manure piles on to the land in¬ 
tended to be covered, and either set it down in large heaps, or spread it 
over the land. This will save time later in the spring, when planting 
presses for attention. 

WORK FOR FEBRUARY. 

Do not burn off grass, weeds and trash before plowing. All our lands 
want humus, and this can only be had by turning under vegetable matter 
and farm yard manure. Before plowing land covered with a growth of 
weeds or trash, run a heavy harrow over it to break down the weeds. 
They will then be much easier to turn under. If the land is in proper 
condition spring oats can be sown. Spring oats, unless sown early, rarely 
make a profitable crop in the South. 

Clover and grass seed not sown in the fall should be got in as soon 
as the land is in good order. 

Tobacco plant beds should be got ready and sown at once. Select 
a piece of rich light land with a Southern aspect, well drained, clear of 
weeds, and sheltered in the north and west. Burn over with a good pile 
of brush to kill all weed seed in or near the surface, and then break fine 
and make rich with well rotted farm yard manure, or a fertilizer rich in 
nitrogen and potash. Mix the seed with ashes or sand, and sow evenly 
over the bed. A tablespoonful of seed will sow a bed 16 feet square, and 


39 


produce plants enough for an acre of land. Cover the seed by beating 
with the back of the spade or by tramping, and cover with plant-bed 
muslin. 

Order your seeds and commerical fertilizers. All seeds to be sown 
should be tested, that the farmer may know how to sow them in 
order to secure the best results. Pour a little water in a plate and place 
a piece of flannel in it, and when the flannel is nicely and evenly damp¬ 
ened count out a number of seeds and spread them on the flannel; cover 
with a piece of glass, and place the plate in a warm place—say on a 
shelf near the stove. In a few days such of the seeds as are vital will 
germinate, and the proportion of good seed will thus be ascertained, and 
form a guide to the quantity necessary to be sown. 

WORK FOR MARCH, 

The month of March may be said to fairly commence the work of 
preparing the land for the season’s crops all through the Southern States. 
Do not, however, be in too great a hurry to plant or sow crops. The 
land, as a rule, is still too cold for anything but oats, or early Irish pota¬ 
toes. These may be got in, especially the oats, at once, though in the 
upper sections of country the potato will be quite as well out of the 
ground till April. Instead of hastening to plant other crops than these, 
if your land is already plowed, devote the time to fitting it better for the 
reception of the seed, particularly the corn land. To secure the greatest 
yield, corn land should be deeply broken and finely worked. 

Buy a roller, or make one, and use it freely as soon as the land is dry 
enough not to stick to it. Wheat and oats should always be rolled. It 
remedies much of the injury done by the alternate freezes and thaws, 
consolidates the soil around the roots of the crops, and enables them to 
seize hold of the plant food in the soil and thicken the stand. Rolling 
also destroys much insect life on the younger plants. All grass land in¬ 
tended to be mown should be rolled, as it destroj'S grubs and insects 
infesting the roots, consolidates the land, making it easier to mow and 
rake with machines, besides making a quicker and denser growth. 

The land intended for tobacco should be plowed and broken as soon 
as possible. When setting out your land for the season’s crops, don’t 
forget to set out a plot, say of half an acre or an acre, of a fair average 
of the land of the whole farm, as an experiment plot. Let this be as 
near uniform in fertility, texture of soil, slope and aspect as can be. 
Divide it into plots, say of one-tenth of an acre each, extending the whole 
length of the plot, and leave between each plot a strip two or three feet 
wide. Here you should test different fertilizers and manures upon dif¬ 
ferent crops. It is the only way in which you can ascertain the require¬ 
ments of the farm. 

WORK FOR APRIL, 

To make a successful crop, corn needs to grow right away, from btart 
to finish, without check. The time of planting should be regulated by 
considerations of locality and weather. Too early planting is not to be 
advised anywhere. Experience points to the period between the middle 
of April and .middle of May as the best. As the land and atmosphere 
should be warm when the seed is planted, the time of planting should 
be subject to local climatic conditions being favorable. Care must be 
taken to give sufficient distance between the rows or checks to permit of 


40 


the free action of the sun and air. For the tall-growing Southern varie¬ 
ties of corn, three and a half to four feet apart in the rows, with from 
two and a half to three feet between the plants, has been found to give 
the best results. If the land be rich, two stalks may be left in each 
hill. 

Cut-worms and crows are often troublesome in corn when first 
germinating. The cut-worm may be successfully destroyed by dampen¬ 
ing fifty pounds of bran, and thoroughly mix with it one pound of Paris 
green. Place a spoonful of the mixture near each plant. The worms 
will feed on this in preference to the plant, and be poisoned. Crows 
may best be combatted with poisoned corn scattered in the field. 

Do not plant too deep; from four to five inches has been found to 
be the beSt depth. Cover the seed with a light ridge. 

While giving attention to the preparation of the land required for the 
corn, cotton and tobacco crops, do not overlook the important forage 
crop required to meet the needs of the live stock. Too often the only 
preparation made to meet the calls of the animals has been the fodder 
from the corn crop. This is not sufficient for their wants. In July and 
August pastures become burnt and bare. Then there should be a field 
of cow peas or soja beans to cut and feed to the stock. Without such 
a help stock are apt to lose in July and August what they have gained in 
May and June. 

WORK FOR MAY. 

May is the one month in the whole year upon which, in the north¬ 
ern tier of the Southern States, depends most of the success to be at¬ 
tained on the farm. Before planting a grain of corn, see to it that every 
acre of land to be planted is put into as fine a condition of tilth as possi¬ 
ble. Do not hesitate to harrow and reharrow until the land to the depth 
broken is in the condition of a fine garden bed. Deep fall and winter 
plowing, perfect preparation of the soil before planting, and shallow, fre¬ 
quent cultivation during growth, are the prime factors in securing great 
yields. The records show that the best average yields have, over a long 
series of years, been made by corn planted in May, before the 20th of the 
month. Formerly, the prime necessity in cultivating the corn crop was 
thought to be the destruction of weeds. While this is necessary, a much 
more important purpose is that of conserving the moisture. Both these 
purposes can be best attained by shallow cultivation and the preservation 
of a level surface between the rows and around the plants. After the 
corn has been planted, the plow is out of place in the corn field, and its 
use is undoubtedly attended with injury to the crop, as it cuts the feeding 
roots of the corn, which are mainly to be found in the first four inches 
of the soil. The best implement with which to give the first two workings 
is a seed-harrow. Let this be run lengthwise of the rows, and very little, 
if any, corn will be pulled up. After these two workings, use a culti¬ 
vator, or a disc-harrow, for the next working. Set the discs carefully, 
so as not to strike the plants. The later workings should be with a cul¬ 
tivator, like the Iron Age cultivator. Repeat the cultivation so frequently 
as to keep the surface always covered with a mulch of fine, loose soil, so 
long as it is possible to work between the rows, or until the corn is in 
tassel. 

Get the tobacco land into good condition for planting as soon as 
possible, so that when the plants are ready they can at once be set out 
in the first good planting season. 


4i 


Sweet potatoes may be set out towards the end of the month, though 
may prefer not to plant until June. 

Peanuts should be planted. This crop is a lime-loving crop, and 
much better results can be had if the land is given from twenty to twenty- 
five bushels of lime per acre previous to planting the crop, and this is 
well worked in. On all land not planted with other crops, sow cow peas 
(black peas). They will make feed for stock and feed the land. By no 
other means can the Southern farmer so cheaply and so effectually im¬ 
prove his farm. 


WORK FOR JUNE. 

Corn may continue to be planted up to the ioth of June with 
reasonable prospect of making a good crop, especially on low, alluvial 
lands. Corn for the silo may be planted to the end of the month. In 
planting for silage do not attempt to plant too thickly. To make good 
silage the crop should be well grown, well cured,, and be well matured. 
Rows three feet apart, with the seed dropped a foot apart in the rows, 
is close enough. Keep the cultivator running in the corn crop as long 
as possible. After every shower cultivate as soon as the land will work 
well. In this way much may be done to eke out the deficiency in rainfall 
in case of dry weather. Cultivate shallow and keep the surface level. 
Frequent stirring of the soil conserves the moisture in the land, increases 
.the plant food in the land by causing the air to circulate more freely 
through, thus supplying the needed oxygen to the roots. Keep down 
all weeds. They pump moisture out of the soil as fast as the crop itself 
without giving any return for this abstraction. 

At the last working of the corn crop sow peas, clover (red or Ger¬ 
man), or winter oats in the crop. These will serve either to increase the 
feed for stock or to plow down as improvers of the soil when matured, 
and this without materially interfering with the yield of the corn crop. 

Set out sweet potatoes, and do not be afraid to plant as many as 
possible. If not wanted for the table or market, they are excellent food 
for hogs and cattle. 

The grass and clover crops will be ready for harvesting this month. 
Do not overcure the hay, whether from grass or clover. If there is no 
dew or rain in the crop when housed, even a large degree of natural 
moisture will not prevent the hay from being a fine quality. It will heat 
considerably; but if kept closely packed and the air secluded, will not 
mould or spoil. Be sure, however, not to pack away with the dampness 
of dew, or rain upon it. Before the end of this month the wheat and 
oats crop will be ready to cut. See that the mowers and binders are 
overhauled and put into good working order, and that duplicate parts of 
such as are likely to be wanted are on hand before the grain is ready to be 
cut. Cut before dead ripe. Have a sufficient number of hands to keep 
close up to the binder, and shock up every sheaf before leaving the field. 

WORK FOR JULY. 

The season for planting or seeding crops for this year’s harvest is 
now practically over. As the wheat and oat fields are cleared of the 
grain, break them with the harrow (the Acme, Disc, Cutaway or Spading 
harrow is best), and seed with crimson clover or cow peas, instead of 
being allowed to produce a crop of weeds. The idea that a crop of 


42 


weeds improves the land is a fallacious one. They abstract plant food 
from the soil. 

The second crop of Irish potatoes should be planted during this 
month in Virginia, and not later than August in North Carolina. 

Ruta-bagas should be sown during this month, and turnips a little 
later. Turnips are not only good for salad and the table, but are an ex¬ 
cellent ration of cattle. Live stock, of all kind, like human beings, thrive 
best on a variety of foods, and roots should be grown to give this variety. 
Especially where sheep are kept should roots be made a regular farm 
crop. No kind of food during winter will so help the sheep as a daily 
ration of cut roots. The land should be laid off in rows two feet six 
inches apart, so as to permit of cultivation, and the seed drilled in the 
rows at the rate of about two to three pounds to the acre. If it is only 
desired to use turnips as salad and for a pasture, they may be sown broad¬ 
cast on land broken with a harrow only. Turnips may be sown with 
German clover on wheat and oat stubbles, and they will afford grazing 
before the clover, and a crop for salad and the table. 

Make provision for saving the straw and chaff when threshing. These 
are too valuable as food for stock and for bedding for the animals to be 
left in heaps in the field to rot. Stack the straw near the barn. Put the 
chaff into the barn or into rail pens, and cover with straw. When the 
push of the work is over in the crops, cut down all the weeds and briars 
growing around the house and farm buildings, on the roadside and in 
the fence corners. Do this before they seed. 

WORK FOR AUGUST, 

Crimson clover should be sown freely all through the month as the 
season admits. Turnips should be sown freely. They make excellent 
feed for cattle, sheep and hogs, and will afford grazing all the winter. 

Don’t waste time pulling fodder. Careful experiments have been 
made in a number of Southern States, and they all establish the fact that 
it does not pay to pull fodder. When the corn is well glazed, cut it up 
at the root and set it up in shocks not too large, and let the corn and 
fodder cure together. In this way the whole crop is saved at one opera¬ 
tion. The stalks and fodder contain as much nutriment and feeding 
value as the ears, and should be so saved as that this value can be utilized. 
Only by cutting up the corn at the roots can this be done. 

Prepare land for seeding winter oats in September. Many farmers 
are now preparing land for them with the spading or disc harrow. This 
system saves cost of plowing and much time, and is successful where the 
land has been well and deeply plowed for the previous crop. 

WORK FOR SEPTEMBER. 

Winter oats, to make the best return, should be sown in September. 
Many failures are due to too late seeding. If there is a fair probability 
of giving this crop a top dressing of farmyard manure during the winter, 
we would not advise the use of any commercial fertilizer when seeding, 
as the manure will give better results. 

One bushel of oats with ten pounds of German clover to the acre 
will give good results for good grazing and a heavy forage crop, and 
which, if not needed for feeding green, will make excellent hay, and be 


43 


off the ground in time to allow its being planted in corn, with the land 
improved by the rotation. 

Cutting and housing the tobacco crop makes great progress during 
this month. The housing and curing of the tobacco crop is much more 
than one-half of the work of raising tobacco. See that the plants are 
not bruised or broken when being cut and carried to the barn. Much 
of the profit in tobacco raising is lost by inexperienced men curing crops 
into a type of tobacco not wanted by the market. 

September is the month for the preparation of land for wheat. It 
should be deeply plowed, and should lie undisturbed for a week or two, 
and then the surface soil should, to the depth of three or four inches, re¬ 
ceive the finest breaking with the harrow and roller possible to give it. 
Wheat needs a firm foundation for a good root hold. 


WORK FOR OCTOBER* 

Wait for a touch of frost in the air before seeding wheat, even though 
this should make the seeding late. The time spent-in waiting may almost 
always be wisely spent in better fitting the land. The system of cutting 
the stalks of corn at the roots and shocking in the field is growing in 
favor. The ear, blade and stalk are thus cured together. After the corn 
is pulled from the stalks, do not allow the stalks and fodder to remain 
in the fields, wasting, a day longer than can be avoided. If you have 
facilities for cutting and shredding the fodder, let this be done at once, 
and pack the product away tightly in the barn, or in a closed shed. Ex¬ 
clude the air as far as possible by this tight packing, and the feed will 
keep perfectly. Never fear if it becomes hot. If it is not damp with rain 
or dew, it will not spoil. If you have no facilities for cutting and shred¬ 
ding, then stack the stalks in the barn or under a shed, or, failing in these 
conveniences, make them into stacks outside, and cover with a few 
boards to shed the water. 

Irish potatoes should be dug as soon as the vines die down and the 
tubers become ripe. Dig when ground is dry. Leave in sun just long 
enough to dry them. Fifty bushels is enough to store in one lot. If put 
up in heaps on high, dry ground, cover with straw only until after the 
tubers have passed through the sweat, which will take from ten to four¬ 
teen days. If rain should threaten before they have finished sweating, 
cover with boards to keep the straw dry. After they have cooled down, 
cover the heaps with six or eight inches of soil on the straw and beat 
solid. The secret of keeping potatoes and roots of all kinds during the 
winter is to maintain as nearly as possible a uniform temperature, not in 
excess of forty-five degrees. 

Take every opportunity of pushing on the work of fall plowing. Do 
not delay in having all necessary repairs made to cattle barns, stables and 
sheds. Stock should be housed in comfortably warm quarters, to pre¬ 
vent loss of profit. All implements and tools not in use should be brought 
into the barn or tool shed and be cleaned, and working parts greased. 


WORK FOR NOVEMBER. 

Have convenient to your farm buildings an abundance of straw and 
bedding material, so that the stock may be housed comfortably and the 


44 



MEREDITH J. TYLER, OF FREDERICKSBURG, VA. 
Generalj[Managerfof Leaksville Woolen Mills 


45 



work of making manure for next year’s crops grow continuously. It is 
lamentable to see how careless many farmers are in this respect, and then 
at crop planting time have to run off to the fertilizer merchant and spend 
the little money they have saved, or mortgage their unplanted crop, to 
pay for the fertilizer, which ought to have been made at home, and might 
have been for the mere labor of providing the stock with material to 
make it for them. If short of straw, gather leaves into the pens and 
store away for future use all you can take care of. 

It is too late to seed any crops except rye, which may be sown all 
through the month. Rye is useful as a spring pasture, and for preventing 
washing of the land and to provide humins, making material for succeed¬ 
ing crops. It is worth seeding for these purposes, even when not de¬ 
sired as a grain crop. Sow from one to two bushels to the acre. 

Renovate and improve the old grass pasture that is beginning to fail 
by giving a dressing of lime, say 50 to 100 bushels per acre, and then 
running over it with a sharp-toothed harrow. Then follow with light 
seeding of a mixture of the best pasture grasses, and top dress with 
farmyard manure, or 300 pounds bone dust and 300 pounds kainit. Early 
in the spring run over the field with a brush harrow, rake off all loose 
trash and roll with a heavy roller. 

Make good roads and pathways from the house to the farm buildings 
and pens, and don’t have to walk through the mud all winter in order 
to care properly for the stock. 


WORK FOR DECEMBER. 

Have all implements and tools carefully housed and cleaned up during 
bad weather. The slaughtering of hogs should receive attention as soon 
as the weather will permit. One of the prime requisites for securing a 
good curing is seeing that the natural heat is out of the carcass before 
salting. Let the meat hang on the gambrel long enough to thoroughly 
chill it all through before cutting up, but do not allow it to become 
frozen. Rub the salt well into the skin side of the meat; then lay on the 
table on a bed of salt and cover each piece well with salt. A little salt¬ 
peter sprinkled on the meat will make it a better color when cured. Allow 
the meat to stay in the salt a month, keeping it well covered with salt 
all the time; then hang up to dry, and smoke if desired. With an abund¬ 
ance of good wood in the shed and forage in the barn, time may be taken 
to figure up the profit and loss of the year’s work. The farmer need 
never fear of going out of business so long as people continue to be born 
into this world “naked and hungry.” He must feed and clothe them, and 
never, until the farmer fully utilizes the whole of what he grows at a 
great cost of labor and fertilizer, w’ill he have any right to say that 
“farming doesn’t pay.” The whole profit which manufacturers of many 
large lines of goods make is made out of the careful utilization of the 
waste products which arise in the ordinary course of their business. 
Armour & Co., of Chicago, could not in many seasons make a profit 
on their meat trade if they did not carefully utilize every scrap of the 
animals slaughtered. It has, indeed, been said, and with truth, that they 
convert into a salable article everything except the squeal of the hog, and 
even this they can now save in the phonograph, but they have not yet 
found a market for it. 


46 


HOUSEHOLD RECIPES. 

BREAD. 

YEAST. 

Boil one quart of Irish potatoes in three quarts of water. When 
done, take out the potatoes, peel and mash fine in a tray, having the 
boiling water on the stove during the process. Throw in this water a 
handful of hops, which must scald, not boil, as it turns the tea dark 
to let the hops boil. Add to the mashed potatoes, a heaping cup of 
sugar and a half cup of salt. Then slowly stir in the hop tea, so there 
will be no lumps. When milk is warm, add a cup of yeast and pour 
in glass fruit jars to ferment, being careful not to close them tightly. 
Set in a warm place in winter and a cool place in summer. In six 
hours it will be ready to use, and at the end of that time the jar must 
be securely closed. Keep in a cold room in winter, and in the refrigerator 
in summer. 

LIGHT BREAD. 

Two quarts of flour, i teaspoonful of sugar, i teaspoonful salt, one-half 
cup of yeast, i egg, well beaten, i pint water, a little lard. Work well, 
and set in a jar to rise. When light, work over very lightly and put in 
the pans to rise the second time, which will take about one hour; then put 
in the stove and bake. 

FRENCH ROLLS. 

One quart of flour, i teaspoonful salt, 2 eggs, 1 large tablespoonful 
of lard, 2 tapblespoonfuls of yeast. Work and knead it well at night, 
and in the morning work it well again; make it into rolls, put them in 
the oven to take a second rise, and when risen, bake them. 

SALLY LUNN. 

One quart of flour, three tablespoonfuls yeast, three eggs, one salt- 
spoonful of salt, butter the size of an egg. Make up with new milk into 
a tolerably stiff batter; set it to rise, and when risen, pour into a cake 
mold and set to rise again, as light bread. Bake quickly and serve hot. 

BEATEN BISCUITS. 

One quart of flour, one teaspoonful salt, lard the size of a hen’s egg. 
Make into a stiff dough, with sweet milk. Beat for half an hour. Make 
out with the hand, or roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter. Stick with 
a fork and bake in a hot oven—yet not hot enough to blister the biscuit. 

SODA BISCUITS. 

One quart flour, 1 teaspoonful of cream of tartar, the same of soda, 
and the same of salt. Sift these together, then rub in a tablespoonful 
of lard, and make up the dough with milk and water. 

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS. 

Make in the same way as soda biscuits, only leave off the soda and 
cream of tartar, and put 2 teaspoonfuls of Royal Baking Powder in¬ 
stead. 


47 


WAFFLES. 

One pint sweet milk, 3 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 tablespoonful corn- 
meal, 1 tablespoonful melted butter, 1 light teaspoonful salt, 3 eggs, 
beaten separately, the whites added last. To have good waffles the batter 
must be made thin. Add another egg and a cup of boiled rice to the 
above ingredients if you wish to make rice waffles. 

FLANNEL CAKES. 

One quart flour, 1 pint meal, 1 teacup milk, 1 teacup yeast, 3 eggs, 
2 teaspoonfuls salt. Beat well together and let it rise till usual time in 
a warm place. Excellent. 

BUCKWHEAT CAKES. 

One pint buckwheat flour, 1 tablespoonful meal, 1 tablespoonful 
yeast, 1 teaspoonful salt. Make up with water, and beat till it bubbles. 
In the morning beat again, and just before baking stir in a pinch of soda, 
dissolved in sour milk or water, and a small quantity of black molasses. 

BATTER CAKES. 

One quart of meal, 1 teaspoonful soda, 1 teaspoonful salt, 3 eggs. 
Make up with buttermilk, and dissolve the soda in the milk. .Fry with 
lard on a griddle. 

BATTER CAKES MADE OF STALE BREAD. 

Put a loaf of stale bread to stand a day in a pint of sweet milk. Just 
before tea add three eggs and one large spoonful of butter. If too thin 
add a little flour. 

OLD-FASHIONED EGG BREAD. 

One pint of meal, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 tablespoonful melted 
butter. Add sweet milk to make a rather thin batter. Beat the eggs 
well, then add the other ingredients and bake quickly. 

POP-OVERS. 

One cup flour, 1 cup sweet milk, 1 egg, a piece of butter the size of 
a walnut, a pinch of salt. Bake in gem pans. Double this if necessary. 

CHEESE STRAWS. 

Grate 3 tablespoonfuls of any kind of cheese, add 3 tablespoonfuls of 
flour, a little red pepper and salt. Add to dry ingredients 1 tablespoonful 
of melted butter, 1 of water and the yolk of 1 egg. Roll thin as for cook¬ 
ies, cut in strips 5 inches long and half inch wide. Bake 15 minutes. 
Serve on plate and fringed doily. Build the straws up like a log cabin. 
They are delicious with salad. 

SWEET WAFERS. 

Six eggs, 1 pint of flour, 2 ounces melted butter, 1 cup milk, i l / 2 cups 
sugar, vanilla seasoning. Bake in wafer-irons and roll. 

TEA. 

Tea should never boil. Pour boiling water on the tea and steep— 
about one teaspoonful of good tea to a half pint of water. Steep about 
eight minutes and serve. 




48 


COFFEE. 

Mix one teacup of ground coffee with a gill of cold water, and pour 
on it lYz pints of boiling water; let it boil io minutes; strain through a 
piece of yellow cotton into a second pot; add some white of egg to the 
cold water and coffee if the coffee has not been glazed. Three-quarters of 
a pound of coffee will make one gallon. 

CHOCOLATE. 

One ounce of Baker’s chocolate dissolved in a cup of boiling water; 
while boiling add three cups of milk and boil. Sweeten to taste at the 
table, and add a little whipped cream to each cup. Double this quantity 
if desired. 

CAKES. 

ICE CREAM CAKE. 

Whites of 8 eggs, i cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 1 cup corn¬ 
starch, 1 cup sweet milk, 2 tablespoonfuls baking powder sifted in flour. 
Beat butter and sugar together; add milk, then flour and cornstarch and 
eggs, well beaten. 

Icing.—Whites of 4 eggs, 4 cups sugar; pour 1 cup boiling water over 
sugar and boil till clear and candied. Beat whites to a stiff froth, then 
add the boiling sugar very slowly, beating all the time; add ^ teaspoon¬ 
ful cream tartar and flavor with vanilla or lemon; when thick spread be¬ 
tween the layers of cake. 

WHITE FRUIT CAKE. 

Use the same batter as for ice cream cake and add Yz pound citron, 
Y-i pound blanched almonds, cut up fine; 1 small cocoanut or a package 
shredded cocoanut; flour the fruit and add to the batter with a wine glass 
of wine. Bake in layers and put icing between, or bake in large pans, in 
slow oven. 

CHOCOLATE CAKE. 

Six eggs, 3 cups sugar, 4 cups sifted flour, with 2 teaspoonfuls bak¬ 
ing powder; 1 cup butter, 1 cup sweet milk; cream butter and sugar and 
mix in the usual way. 

Fillings.—Make icing as for ice cream cake and add one-half cake 
melted chocolate and teaspoonful vanilla just before taking off fire; beat 
well and spread between layers. 

CARAMEL FILLING. 

One and a half pounds brown sugar, tablespoonful butter, 1 cup 
sweet milk; boil till hard in water; flavor with vanilla; beat till it gets 
thick and spread between layers. Chopped nuts sprinkled on each layer 
of filling makes this very nice. 

FRUIT CAKE. 

One pound flour, 1 pound sugar, 1 pound butter, 10 eggs, a teaspoon¬ 
ful soda dissolved in a small quantity of buttermilk, 1 wine glass each of 
brandy and wine, 2 pounds raisins, 1 pound currants, 24 pound citron, 


49 


Yz pound blanched almonds, Y2 pound chopped figs, I nutmeg, I table¬ 
spoonful each of mace, cinnamon and allspice, Vi tablespoon cloves. Mix 
as for pound cake, flour fruit well and stir in batter; bake four hours. 

TEA CAKES. 

Three eggs, 3 cups sugar, 1 cup butter (or butter and lard mixed), 1 
teaspoonful soda, dissolved in cup of buttermilk. Mix these ingredients 
well and add to the flour; it will take about two quarts. Make a stiff 
dough; season with nutmeg, roll out thin, cut and bake in a hot oven. 

GINGER CAKES. 

One teacupful of butter, 1 teacupful brown sugar, 1 teacupful sour 
milk, 7 cupfuls flour, 1 Y* teacupfuls molasses, 1V2 teaspoonfuls soda. 

GINGER SNAPS. 

One pint molasses, 1 cupful brown sugar, 1 cupful butter and lard 
mixed. Beat the molasses till it looks light, then put it in the sugar: 
next pour in the hot butter and lard, one egg beaten light, one teacupful 
ground ginger. Have the mixture milk warm; work flour in briskly; 
roll thin and bake quickly. 

CUP CAKE. 

Six eggs, 4 cupfuls flour, 3 cupfuls sugar, 1 cupful butter, 1 teaspoon¬ 
ful cream tartar, Y2 teaspoonful of soda; season with mace and nutmeg; 
bake in small tin pans. 

ROLLED JELLY CAKE. 

Three eggs, 1 teacupful of sugar, 1 teacupful of flour, 2 teaspoonfuls 
baking powder. Beat the yolks of the eggs till light, then add sugar; 
beat well, then' add the whites, beaten to a stiff froth; next put in the 
flour, a little at a time. Bake in a long pan, well greased; when done 
turn out on a bread board, spread the top with jelly and roll while warm, 
and slice as needed. 

HOT WATER SPONGE CAKE. 

Six eggs, 2 Y2 cupfuls sugar, 4 cupfuls flour, 1 cupful hot water. Beat 
the yolks well, then add sugar; then add the hot water; next put in the 
whites and add the flour last, putting in a little at a time, till it is well 
mixed. Do not beat after the flour is put in. Flavor with vanilla, and 
bake in a large biscuit pan, and cut in squares when cold. This is also 
very nice served hot with sauce. Add two teaspoonfuls of baking pow¬ 
der to the flour. 


PUDDINGS AND PIES. 

BREAD PUDDING. 

Grate the crumbs of a stale loaf of bread and pour on it a pint of 
boiling milk, let it stand an hour, then beat it to a pulp, add six well- 
beaten eggs, one-half pound of butter, one-half pound of sugar, one-half 
of a nutmeg, a glass of brandy and a tablespoonful of grated lemon 
peel. Bake in a quick oven. Meringue the whites of six eggs and one 
cupful of pulverized sugar. 


50 


LEMON RICE PUDDING. 

Wash four tablespoonfuls of rice, and boil till softened; one quart 
of milk, sweetened to taste; butter, size of an egg; when nearly cooled, 
add the beaten yolks of four eggs and the grated rind of a lemon; to the 
beaten whites of the eggs add the juice of the lemon and four spoonfuls 
of powdered sugar; pour the batter into a dish, put the whites on top, 
and bake till brown. To be eaten cold. 

DRIED FRUIT PUDDING. 

Boil the fruit until soft; chop it fine, adding a teacupful of the juice 
for sauce; make batter of stale bread soaked in milk; put the fruit in and 
stir well; boil in a floured bag or buttered mould; make a sauce of but¬ 
ter, sugar, and a little flour, adding the apple-juice hot, and spice to 
taste. 

VELVET PUDDING. 

Five eggs beaten separately, one cup of white sugar; beat well to¬ 
gether, then stir in four tablespoonfuls of corn starch dissolved in a little 
sweet milk; three pints of sweet milk; let it come to a boiling point, then 
stir in briskly the other ingredients; then let boil until it becomes quite 
thick; remove it from the fire, pour into your baking dish when nearly 
done, take the white of eggs beaten to a froth with one cup of sugar, and 
pour over the top of the pudding. 

APPLE-CUSTARD PIE. 

Three cups stewed apple, one cup (nearly) white sugar, six eggs, one 
quart milk. Beat the eggs light, and mix the yolks well with the apple, 
seasoning with nutmeg only. Stir in the milk gradually, beating as you 
go on; finally add the whites, fill the crust, and bake without cover. 

PUMPKIN PIE. 

One quart stewed pumpkin pressed through a sieve; nine eggs, whites 
and yolks beaten separately; two quarts milk; one teaspoonful mace, one 
of cinnamon and one of nutmeg; one and a half cups of white sugar. 
Beat all well together, and bake in crust without cover. 

SNOW PUDDING. 

Half box of gelatine, four eggs, juice of three lemons, one quart of 
milk, one pint of boiling water and one teaspoonful of vanilla. Soak the 
gelatine in a half pint of cold water for half an hour, then pour the boil¬ 
ing water on it, add the sugar, and stir until dissolved; then the lemon 
juice; strain, and when cold beat with an egg-beater for ten or fifteen 
minutes, or until as white as now. Stir into this the whites beaten very 
stiff. Pour in a mould wet with cold water, and put in a cold place. 

Sauce.—One quart of milk, four yolks of eggs, half cup of sugar; 
boiled. Season with vanilla. Cold also. 

APPLE SNOW. 

Stew apples and strain them; whip the whites of three or four eggs; 
add to them pulverized sugar; to this slowly whip in the apples. Eat 
with sponge or jelly cake. 


5* 


SWEET POTATO PUDDING. 

One and a half pounds of potatoes boiled and mashed, cream with 
them half pound of butter, beaten yolks of four eggs, three-quarters of a 
pound of sugar, half wineglass of brandy, one nutmeg, and the grated 
rind of one lemon, milk to make it thin enough, and the whites of four 
eggs, beaten light, when ready to bake. 

DELMONICO PUDDING. 

One quart milk, four eggs (yolks), four tablespoonfuls sugar, three 
tablespoonfuls of corn starch, small piece of butter. The butter and 
sugar, creamed, eggs (yolks) beaten in this with the corn starch; add a 
tablespoonful of vanilla; stir this into the boiling milk, and let it cook 
until it is thick, stirring all the time; then pour into a baking pan, cover 
with meringue made out of the white of the four eggs and a small cup of 
sugar. This served with cream is very nice. 


VEGETABLES. 

THE FITNESS OF THINGS. 

Potatoes are good with all meats. Carrots, parsnips, turnips, greens 
and cabbage are eaten with boiled meat; and beets, peas and beans with 
either boiled or roasted meat. Mashed turnips, onion and apple sauces 
are good with roast pork. Tomatoes are good with every kind of meat, 
but especially so with roast beef. Cranberry sauce and currant jelly with 
fowls, veal, ham and game. Capers or nasturtiums with boiled mutton; 
and mint-sauce with roast lamb. Pickles should always be served with 
fish. 

POTATO PUFF. 

Take two cupfuls cold mashed potato and stir into it two tablespoon¬ 
fuls melted butter, beating to a light cream. When this is done, add to it 
two eggs beaten very light and a teacupful of cream or milk, with salt to 
taste. Beat again, and bake in a quick oven until browned. 

SUCCOTASH. 

One pint shelled lima beans, one quart green corn, cut from the cob; 
one quart tomatoes, prepared and seasoned as for baking. Boil the corn 
and beans together till done, then drain off the water and pour in a cup of 
milk, a tablespoonful of butter, and salt to the taste. Let it boil up, and 
then pour in the tomatoes. Let all simmer an hour. Baked or stewed 
dishes should have cracker or brown biscuit grated on top before sending 
to the table. 

RICE. 

The way they boil rice in India is as follows: Into a sauceoan of two 
quarts of water, when boiling, throw a tablespoonful of salt; then put in 
one pint rice, previously well washed in cold water. Let it boil twenty 
minutes, thrown out into colander, drain and put back in the saucepan, 
which should be put near the fire for several minutes. 


52 


TO BOIL CABBAGE WITH BACON. 

Quarter a head of hard white cabbage; examine for inserts; lay in 
salt and water for several hours. An hour before dinner drain and put in 
a pot in which bacon has been boiling—a pod of red pepper boiled with 
it will make it more wholesome and improve the flavor of both bacon and 
cabbage. 

CELERY. 

Wash carefully and put in cold water to keep crisp till dinner. Re¬ 
move all the green, as nothing is so ornamental as the pure white leaves 
of bleached celery. If the ends of the stalks have been broken, split and 
curl them. 

TO BOIL SNAPS. 

Early in the morning, string round, tender snaps. Throw into water 
and set in a cool place till an hour before dinner, when they must be 
drained and thrown into a pot where the bacon is boiling. 

STEWED TOMATOES. 

Peel and chop tomatoes till you have a quart; add one teacupful 
brown sugar, one teacupful butter, one teacupful bread crumbs, one table¬ 
spoonful salt, one teaspoonful black pepper. Stew till free from lumps 
and perfectly done. Pour in a deep dish, sift powdered crackers over it 
and serve. 

BAKED TOMATOES. 

One quart peeled and sliced tofnatoes (not scalded), one cupful sugar, 
one tablespoonful butter, one dessertspoonful salt, one teaspoonful black 
pepper, one roll of bread Spread a layer of tomatoes on the bottom of 
an earthen (never a tin) baking dish. Put over it half the sugar, butter, 
pepper and salt, and crumble half the roll over it in small bits. Then 
spread another layer of tomato, sugar, etc., ending with the remaining 
half of the roll. Grate cracker or hard brown biscuit on top and serve. 

TO COOK ASPARAGUS. 

Wash well, scrape, cut off the tough end, tie up in bunches and put 
in boiling water with a spoonful of salt. Boil thirty minutes, or till ten¬ 
der. Lay it on slices of toast in a dish, pour melted butter over it and 
serve hot. 

CORN PUDDING. 

One dozen large ears corn. Cut off the top of the grain, scrape with 
a knife, so as to get the heart of the grain without the husk. Season with 
a teacup of cream, a large tablespoonful butter, salt and pepper to taste. 
Bake in a dish. 

CORN FRITTERS. 

Three dozen ears corn, six eggs, beaten well; three tablespoonfuls 
flour; salt to taste. Grate the corn, add it to the flour, and gradually mix 
with the eggs. Beat all hard together. Drop in oval shapes, three inches 
long, into a pan, in which fry them brown, in equal parts of lard and 
butter. A batter cake turner is convenient for turning them. 


53 



TO COOK PARSNIPS. 

Boil the parsnips till thoroughly done. Serve with salt, pepper, but¬ 
ter and cream; or mash the parsnips, mix with an egg beater, and season 
as before. 

TO COOK SALSIFY. 

Wash, trim, scrape the roots and cut them up fine. Boil till tender, 
mash and season with pepper, salt, bread crumbs, butter and milk. Put 
in a dish and bake brown. 

TO DRESS CUCUMBERS RAW. 

Gather early in the morning, peel, lay in cold water till just before 
dinner. Then drain, slice as thin as possible into ice water, which drain 
and then fill a dish with alternate layers of sliced cucumber and thinly 
sliced white onion, sprinkled with salt and pepper. Pour a cup of weak 
vinegar over it and lay a lump of ice on top. 

OKRA. 

Boil young okra till tender in salt and water. Drain, add half a tea¬ 
cup of cream, and a heaping tablespoonful of butter. Let it boil up, turn 
it out in a dish, sprinkle salt and pepper over it and serve hot. 

TO BOIL IRISH POTATOES. 

Old potatoes must be nicely peeled and dropped in boiling water, 
covered with a lid and boiled hard half an hour. Then drain off the water 
and set by the fire. This makes them mealy. 

TURNIP SALAD. 

Pick early in the morning. Wash one peck and put in cold water. 
Have ready a pot of boiling water in which a piece of bacon has boiled 
several hours, and the amount of water become much reduced. Take 
out the bacon, put in the salad, put the bacon back on top of the salad, 
and boil till very tender. Dip from the pot with a perforated skimmer, 
lay in a deep dish, skim the fat from the liquor and pour over the salad. 
Cover with nicely poached eggs. Cover and send to the table hot. Any 
other kind of salad might be cooked by this recipe. 

EGGS. 

A raw egg, swallowed immediately, is very effective in removing a 
fishbone which has become lodged in the throat. The white of an egg 
is an excellent application for a burn. If mustard is mixed with the 
white of an egg, a blister will seldom follow the application of the 
plaster. 

Hoarseness and tickling in the throat are relieved with the gargle 
of the white of an egg beaten to a froth with a tumblerful of warm, 
sweetened water. 

If the yolks of eggs are well beaten, and a little flour sifted over the 
top, they will keep for a day or two; but leave the whites unbeaten, if 
not used at once. 


54 


An egg in a bottle is a great curiosity. Soak an egg in very strong 
vinegar until the shell softens, when it can be gently forced lengthwise 
into a wide-mouthed bottle. Pour very cold water over it repeatedly, 
and it will resume its natural shape. 

To restore the color to black kid gloves, apply with a soft sponge the 
white of an egg beaten with a small quantity of good black ink. 

An old, but very effective remedy for an obstinate cough is to place 
two or three whole eggs in very strong vinegar (boiled down to increase 
the strength if necessary). In three or four days the acid will have con¬ 
sumed the shells. Beat the mixture well, and thicken With honey. Take 
two tablespoonfuls before each meal. 

When eggs are plentiful and cheap, save all the shells; when they 
have accumulated, crush them very fine and dry them. Beat half a dozen 
eggs and stir the shells into the mixture, then spread and dry quickly. 
Put into a thin muslin bag and hang near the fire to keep the contents 
dry. When eggs are high or scarce, a tablespoonful of this mixture, 
soaked in cold water several hours, will settle coffee as well as a whole 
egg. 

The yolk of an egg is a very good substitute for cream in coffee, 
and will answer for three cups. 

A raw egg beaten with a little pulverized sugar, half the quantity 
of cream or milk, is excellent for convalescents or elderly people. Very 
sick people can sometimes eat the yolk of a hard-boiled egg when the 
white cannot be eaten with safety. 

The skin of*a boiled egg, moistened and applied to a boil, will cause 
suppuration and relieve soreness in a few hours. It is also an excellent 
application for a sty or inflamed eye-lids. 

A plaster composed of the yolk of an egg and salt will often re¬ 
lieve pleurisy, kidney and neuralgic pains. 

SOFT BOILED. 

Instead of boiling three minutes in steaming hot water, as is usually 
done, put them in one of the metal egg boilers in common use on the 
breakfast table, or in a covered bowl; cover them with boiling water, and 
let them stand three minutes; pour this off and refill with more boiling 
water. 

SCRAMBLED. 

Put a piece of butter in a frying pan, and when it is hot drop in the 
eggs, which should be broken whole into a bowl. Stir in with them a 
little chopped parsley,, some pepper and salt, and keep stirring to and fro, 
up and down, without cessation, for three minutes. Turn out at once into 
a hot dish, or upon buttered toast, and eat without delay. 

MILK OMELET. 

Take a tablespoonful of milk for each egg used, beat the eggs sep¬ 
arately, very light; add butter and salt to taste; mix all together; turn into 
a buttered skillet and stir constantly until done, which will be in a few 
minutes. 


55 


EGG CROQUETTES. 

Hard boil eight eggs and when cold chop very fine; mix in them one 
tablespoonful of butter, one teacupful of bread crumbs, one teacupful of 
milk, one teaspoonful of onion, chopped fine; make a white sauce with 
the butter and milk, thickened with a little flour; mix all together and 
mould; roll in cracker crumbs and bake. 

SCRAMBLED BRAINS. 

One pint or tray of brains; wash thoroughly and free them from all 
membranes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; drop the brains in a spider 
on two tablespoonfuls of butter and stir constantly. When half cooked 
add from three to six eggs, slightly beaten, and continue to stir until 
done. 

EGGS WITH TOAST. 

Cut bread in squares and toast a light brown; poach eggs nicely, 
place each one on a piece of toast, pour melted butter over them and 
serve. 

STUFFED EGGS. 

Boil six eggs very hard, peel them, and after having sliced a bit off 
each end to make them stand well, cut in halves and extract the yolks. 
Rub up the yolks with a little pepper and salt, melted butter, bread 
crumbs and finely chopped celery; fill in the whites nicely, stand on end 
in a pan, lay bits of butter on each egg and bake. 

HAM AND EGG PUDDING. 

Six eggs, beaten light; a light pint of flour, a pint of milk, a small 
piece of butter, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle some slices of boiled 
ham with pepper and lay them in a deep dish that has been greased; 
then pour the pudding batter over the bacon and bake quickly. 


BILL OF FARE FOR THE SPRING. 

When the sun begins to grow warm in April, we begin to lose our 
appetite for meat and solid food, in general, and crave something light 
and delicate. As cheap as sugar is, and as plentiful as eggs are, at this 
season, I think a housekeeper may readily indulge her family in desserts 
during the spring. 

A bread pudding is a very nice and convenient thing to have. 
Take a half dozen cold rolls, or slices of light bread, break them up into 
crumbs, rejecting the crust, if it is at all hard. Put these crumbs to soak 
in a quart of fresh, sweet milk, immediately after breakfast, and they 
will be perfectly soft by the time you are ready to bake the pudding. 
Add two or three eggs, a'heaping tablespoonful of butter, a cup and a 
half of white sugar, and a cup of raisins or currants, if you have them. 
Flavor with either vanilla, cinnamon, or nutmeg, and bake a light 
brown. 

Rice pudding, too, is a great help in the spring, and is very nice, 
with the ingredients above directed for bread pudding. Rice cakes are 


also very nice, served with sauce or molasses. Take cold rice, left from 
dinner, add a pint of flour, a couple of eggs, and enough sweet milk 
to make a batter. Fry it in cakes, and it makes a nice, simple dessert. 

Waffles make a very good dessert, also, served with sauce. 

_ Lemon mush pudding is an inexpensive and palatable dessert, the 
recipe for which I subjoin: one quart of mush, one-fourth pound of butter, 
to be put into the mush while warm, four or five eggs, beaten light, 
the juice and grated rind of two lemons. Sweeten to the taste and bake 
in pie crust. 

Sponge cake roll is a very nice dessert for the spring time, and is made 
as follows: Make up your batter as for ordinary sponge cake, but in¬ 
stead of baking it in a mould, bake it in a large biscuit pan, thoroughly 
greased. Pour in enough batter to cover the pan, about half an inch 
deep, before baking. Bake it carefully, so as not to burn either side. 
Wring a towel out in hot water, lay it on a board or table, turn the cake 
out on it, spread it, while warm, with fruit jelly, and roll it up in the towel, 
like a valise pudding, pinning the towel around it to keep it in shape 
till dinner time. Serve it either cold or hot, with wine or lemon sauce. 
Bananas, cut thin, and sprinkled heavily with sugar, make a nice filling 
for this pudding. 

Baked custard is a delicate, old-fashioned dessert, which seems to be 
coming in vogue again, and it suits very well to have it, now that eggs 
are abundant. The following is an excellent recipe for making it: Boil 
a quart of fresh, sweet milk, flavored with cinnamon or vanilla. After 
boiling, let it cool, sweeten it to your taste, add the yolks of eight eggs and 
whites of four. Strain it, pour it in cups (yellow earthenware ones that 
are intended for cookery), put them in a baking-pan, pour boiling 
water around them and set them in the stove to bake which will require 
about ten minutes. 

We do not only desire sweets in the spring time, but we also feel 
the need of something acid, and this is a wise provision of nature, as 
the liver is apt to be torpid in the spring, and acids stimulate it. I think 
a housekeeper ought always to have a little pickle or catsup on her 
table, at this season. Lettuce, seasoned as a salad, is very appetizing for 
a spring dinner, and canned tomatoes served raw, with salad flavoring, 
are very palatable, when the first warm spell affects us with lassitude. 
If you have any fragments of cold veal or lamb left over from dinner, 
you can make an extremely palatable salad of it for supper, chopping or 
grinding up the fragments, adding an equal amount of chopped-up po¬ 
tatoes, and flavoring with salt, pepper, finely mincel onion, celery seed, and 
a little vinegar. You can also make nice croquets of any fragments you 
may have, of veal, beef, lamb or cold chicken, adding one-third part of 
stale bread crumbs, and frying in cakes, like sausage. By the way, a sau¬ 
sage machine is an indespensable adjunct for preparing meats nicely for 
croquets. 

There is no choicer delicacy in the spring than asparagus, and every 
thrifty farmers ought to provide a bountiful supply of this. In a forward 
spring, it is ready for use by the ioth of April, in this latitude, and affords 
a delightful variety in our fare. Kale, too, ought to be sown in time to 
yield by the last of winter, or early in the spring. Amongst its other 
recommendations, it enjoys that of being exceedingly hardy, it having 
survived all the rigors of our late severe winter, and being now in a flour¬ 
ishing condition in the writer’s vicinity. 


57 


MEATS, 


TO CURE LARD. 

As soon as it is taken from the hog, cut in small pieces, wash clean, 
press out the water, and put in the pot to boil, with one gallon of water 
to a vessel holding four gallons. Boil briskly until nearly done, or until 
the cracklins begin to brown, then cook slowly to prevent burning. The 
cracklins should be of a light brown and crisp, and will sink to the bot¬ 
tom when done. This is leaf lard. 

The fat off the backbone is also very nice, done in the same way, and 
does not require soaking, unless bloody. The fat from the entrails can 
also be made into nice lard by soaking for a day or two in fresh water, 
changing it frequently, and throwing a handful ol salt in the tub of water 
to draw out the blood and impurities. When ready to render, wash in 
warm water twice and boil in more water than you do for leaf lard. The 
cracklins will not become crisp, but remain soft, and will sink to the bot¬ 
tom; they are used for making soap. 

VIRGINIA MODE OF CURING HAMS. 

Put one teaspoonful saltpeter on the fleshy side of each ham. Salt 
(not too heavily) for five weeks; if the weather is freezing cold, six weeks; 
then brush the hams well, and rub them with hickory ashes; let them lie 
for one week, then hang and smoke them for six weeks with green hick¬ 
ory chips. After brushing, pack them in hickory ashes in a bulk. 

TO CURE BACON. 

Pack the meat in salt and allow it to remain five weeks. Then take 
the hams up, wash off, and wipe dry. Have some sacks made of about 
seven-eighths shirting, large enough to hold the hams and tie above the 
hock. Make a pot of sizing of equal portions of flour and corn meal, boil 
until thick, and dip each sack until the outside is well coated with sizing. 
Put the hams in bags, and tie tight with a strong twine and hang by the 
same in the smokehouse. 

TO COOK A HAM. 

Boil the ham three or four hours, according to size; then skin the 
whole and fit it for the table; then set in the oven for half an hour; cover 
it thickly with pounded rusk or bread crumbs, and set back for half an 
hour longer. Boiled ham is always improved by setting it in an oven for 
nearly half an hour, till much of the fat dries out; and it also makes it 
more tender. 

TO COOK A SADDLE OF MUTTON. 

Meats are all better for being kept a day or two before cooking, par¬ 
ticularly mutton. If the mutton be tender, do not boil it, but put it in a 
pan of water, set it on the stove and cook slowly, basting constantly 
with the gravy or water in the pan; with pepper and salt to taste. Just 
before it is done, put some scraped horseradish over it, and garnish the 
dish with the same; add a little ground mustard and grated bread or 
cracker; pour the gravy over it, and grate bread over, and set it aside to 
cool. This is for cold mutton. All meats are better for roasting before 
a fire than in a stove. 


58 


ROAST MUTTON. 

A very agreeable way of roasting mutton is to dress it as venison. 
Take a leg of mutton and keep it several days; prepare a dressing of 
bread crumbs, salt, pepper and summer herbs; making incisions in the 
mutton, fill them with the dressing, score the upper side, sprinkle salt, 
pepper and flour on it, and rub with butter. In the first quarter of an 
hour keep it in a strong heat; baste it often. 

BEEFSTEAK SMOTHERED WITH ONIONS. 

Cut up six onions very fine; put them in a saucepan with two cupfuls 
of hot water, about two ounces of good butter, some pepper and salt; 
dredge in flour. Let it stew until the onions are quite soft; then have the 
steak broiled, put into the saucepan with the onions; then simmer about 
ten minutes, and send to the table very hot. 

BEEFSTEAK BROILED. 

Cut the steak one-half inch thick; it should then be beaten with a 
steak beater or pestle. The griddle should be hot and on the coals; place 
the steak on the griddle, and as soon as seared, turn it; when both sides 
are seared, place it in a pan, season it with pepper, salt and butter; repeat 
this for every piece of steak, and place in the pan, which should be kept 
closely covered without being on the fire. If your heat is sufficient from 
three to five minutes is sufficient to cook. 

TO ROAST BEEF. 

The sirloin is the nicest for the purpose. Plunge the beef in boiling 
water and boil for thirty minutes; then put it in the stove pan; skim the 
top of the water in which it has been boiled, and baste the roast, after 
dredging it with flour; pepper and salt to taste. Baste frequently, and 
roast till done. 

ROAST TURKEY. 

Wash nicely in and out. Plunge into boiling water ten minutes. 
Have ready a dressing of bread crumbs, hard boiled eggs, chopped fine; 
one tablespoonful butter, minced parsley, thyme and celery. After rub¬ 
bing the cavity well with salt and pepper, and putting in a slice of pork 
or bacon, fill with the above dressing. Do the same also to the crop, so 
as to make the turkey look plump. Rub the turkey well with butter and 
sprinkle salt and pepper over it. Dredge with flour. Lay in the pan with 
a slice of pork or bacon and a pint of boiling water. Lay the liver and 
gizzard in the pan with it. Put in a hot oven, basting and turning fre¬ 
quently till every part is a beautiful brown. When the meat is amber 
color, pin a buttered sheet of writing paper over it to keep it from be¬ 
coming hard and dry. Cook three or four hours. Season the gravy with 
minced parsley and celery and serve with cranberry sauce. 

CHICKENS. 

These, whether for boiling or roasting, should have a dressing pre¬ 
pared as for turkeys. Six spoonfuls of rice boiled with the chickens will 
cause them to look white. If the water is cold when they are put in. they 


59 


will be less liable to break. They are improved by boiling a little salt 
pork with them. If not thus boiled they will need salt. 

For broiling, chickens should be split, the inwards taken out and the 
chickens then washed. Broil very slowly till done, placing the bony side 
down; then turn it and brown the other side. Forty minutes is the 
medium time for broiling a chicken. 

For roast chicken, boil the gizzard and liver by themselves, and use 
the water for gravy. 

FRIED CHICKEN. 

Kill the chicken the night before, if you can, and lay on ice, or else 
kill early in the morning. When ready, wipe dry, flour it, add pepper 
and salt and dry in a little lard. When nearly done, pour off the lard, add 
one-half teacup water, large spoonful butter and some chopped parsley. 
Brown nicely and serve. Meal mush fried is nice with the chicken. 

BAKED HASH. 

Take cold beef or veal, chop the meat very fine, put it in a pan with 
some water; add salt, pepper, butter and bread crumbs to taste. Season 
with a little chopped onion, parsley and thyme, all minced fine; half a cup 
of milk or cream, with one egg beaten. Grate some crumbs over the top 
and bake till brown. 


OYSTERS. 

FRIED. 

Select the largest and plumpest. Drain and spread on a cloth. Beat 
very light two or three eggs. Dip the oyster first in egg, then in rolled 
cracker. Have the butter perfectly hot and enough in the pan to cover 
the oysters. Lay them in, and when brown turn and brown the other 
side. 

SCALLOPED. 

Butter a baking dish well, and throw bread crumbs over it until they 
adhere on all sides; cover the bottom of the dish with oysters, sprinkle 
on bread crumbs, season with pepper, salt and butter; then another layer 
of oysters covered in the same way, until the dish is full. Cover the 
last layer rather more thickly with crumbs and bake a nice brown. Lob¬ 
ster and fish scallops may be prepared in the same manner, using cold 
boiled lobster or fish. 

STEWED. 

Drain the liquor from two quarts of firm, plump oysters; mix with 
it a small teacupful of hot water, add a little salt and pepper and set over 
the fire in a saucepan. When it comes to a boil add a large cupful of rich 
milk. (Cream is better.) Let it boil up once, put in the oysters, and let 
them boil five minutes or less—not more. When they ruffle add two- 
tablespoonfuls of butter, and the instant it is melted and well stirred in 
take the saucepan from the fire. Oysters become tough when cooked too 
long. 


60 


SAUCES. 

SAUCE GOOD FOR ALL PUDDINGS. 

Three-quarters of a cup of butter, one and a half cups of sugar, one 
egg* juice and grated rind of a lemon; all beaten well together. Just be¬ 
fore serving pour on the beaten mixture one pint of boiling water. 

WINE SAUCE. 

One tablespoonful oif flour mixed smooth in half a pint of cold water; 
boil this until it thickens, stirring it all the time; pour it over half a pound 
of sugar; one-quarter of a pound of butter, a grated nutmeg, and add a 
glass of wine. 

HARD SAUCE. 

Beat to a cream one cup butter, to which add three cups powdered 
sugar. Beat long and hard; then place it upon a small dish and.smooth 
into shape with a knife-blade dipped in cold water. It is made richer by 
having half a cup of wine, or the juice of a lemon, or both, beaten up with 
it. When smooth, grate nutmeg thickly on the top. 


MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES. 

BOILED CUSTARD. 

One quart of milk, eight eggs, omitting the whites of four; then strain 
it. Add eight or ten drops of vanilla. 

Make a custard, and when it is done and quite cool put it into a deep 
glass dish; beat to a stiff froth the whites of four eggj that have been 
omitted in the custard, adding eight or ten drops of lemon; drop the froth 
in balls on the top of the custard. 

GELATINE. 

One box of Cox’s gelatine, two cups loaf sugar, two cups cold water, 
juice and grated peel of two lemons, a pinch of nutmeg, and the same of 
cinnamon, four cups boiling water, two wineglesses of clear wine. Soak 
the gelatine in the cold water for two hours. Put it into a bowl with 
the sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour the boiling water 
over these and stir until the gelatine is dissolved; add the wine and strain 
through a flannel bag. 

PINEAPPLE SHERBET. 

Dissolve one box of gelatine in one gallon of water; add to this two 
cans of pineapple, cut fine; the juice of four oranges and two lemons. 
Sweeten to taste and freeze. 

BRANDY PEACHES. 

Lay the peaches in strong pearlash water, boiling until the skins are 
loose; then put them in cold water, rub the skins off, put them on dishes 
to cool. To one pound peaches add one-half pound sugar. Make the 
syrup, and boil the peaches in it for three-quarters of an hour. Put the 
peaches in jars and add to the syrup equal quantities of brandy and 
alcohol. 


61 


STRAWBERRY CREAM. 

Four quarts thick sweet cream, four quarts strawberries. The berries 
must be mashed or bruised, caps and all, with a teacup of granulated 
sugar to each quart. After standing several hours strain through a thin, 
coarse cloth. Put four teacups of white sugar to the cream and then add 
the juice of the berries. Whip or froth the cream with a patent egg-whip 
or common egg-beater. Pour two-thirds of the cream into the freezer, 
reserving the rest to pour in after it begins to freeze. Raspberry cream 
may be made by the same recipe. 

PEACH CREAM. 

Take nice, soft peaches, perfectly ripe. Pare and chop fine, make 
them very sweet, and mash to a fine jam. To each quart of peaches add 
one pint of cream and one pint of rich milk. Mix well and freeze. If 
you cannot get cream, melt an ounce of Cox’s gelatine in a cup of water. 
Boil the milk, pour it on the gelatine, and when cold mix with the 
peaches. 

CHICKEN SALAD. 

The white meat of a cold boiled or roasted chicken (or turkey). 
Three-quarters the same bulk of chopped celery, two hard-boiled eggs, 
one raw egg well beaten, one teaspoonful salt, one of pepper one of made 
mustard, three of salad oil, two of white sugar, half a teacup of vinegar. 
Mince the meat well, removing every scrap of fat, gristle and skin; cut 
the celery into bits half an inch long, or less; mix them and set aside 
in a cold place while you prepare the dressing. Rub the yolks of the 
eggs to a finepowder, add the salt, pepper and sugar, then the oil, grind¬ 
ing hard, and putting in but a. few drops at a time. The mustard conies 
next, and let all stand together while you whip the raw egg to a froth. 
Beat this into the dresing and pour in the vinegar, spoonful by spoonful, 
whipping the dressing well as you do it. Sprinkle a little salt over the 
meat and celery, toss it up lightly with a single fork, pour the dressing 
over it, tossing and mixing until the bottom is as well saturated as the 
top; turn into the salad bowl and garnish with white of eggs (boiled hard) 
cut into rings and flowers, and sprigs of bleached celery tops. 

MAYONNAISE DRESSING. 

Take the yolk of one egg in a large bowl and stir it with the right 
hand, pouring in with the left not more than a teaspoonful at a time of 
olive oil until you have used half a tumbler; this will make a thick batter. 
Into the tumbler which contained the oil put half a wineglass of vinegar, a 
small teaspoonful of mustard and an even teaspoonful of salt; also a dust¬ 
ing of cayenne pepper, very small; mix these thoroughly and add slowly 
to the oil batter, stirring all the time. When much salad is used in a 
family it is well to make double or treble this quantity, which, if closely 
covered and kept in a cool place will keep for weeks. 

SALAD DRESSING (which will keep). 

Yolks of four eggs, four teaspoonfuls salt, four mustardspoonfuls yel¬ 
low mustard, a small cup each of milk and vinegar, a pinch of cayenne 
pepper, a little sugar, one tablespoonful of butter mixed with a teaspoon¬ 
ful of flour; mix all together and stir over the fire until it boils. 


62 


POTATO SALAD. 

Four large potatoes; boil with the skin on, peel and slice thin; add 
one bunch of celery chopped fine, two small raw onions, chopped fine. 
Mix all together, and when cold add pepper, salt, oil and vinegar to the 
taste 

POTATO CROQUETTES. 

To every cupful of mashed potato, allow a tablespoonful of melted 
butter, and beat to a cream, seasoning with pepper and salt. Beat up 
two or three eggs, according to the quantity used, and add this to 
the potato, with some minced parsley. Roll into oval balls, dip 
first into beaten egg, then in bread crumbs, and fry in hot lard. 

TOMATO CATSUP. 

Slice the tomatoes, and boil a short time. Rub them through a 
sieve, or strain through thin muslin. Salt to taste. To each gallon of 
juice, add one tablespoonful of ground cloves, one of allspice, one of 
cinnamon, two of mustard, one of black pepper, and some grated horse¬ 
radish; boil it an hour and a half, stirring it often. Set it to cool, 
then add one pintand half of good vinegar. Bottle it, sealing it close. 
Put the spices in just before it is done boiling. 

PICKLED CHERRIES. 

To every pound of cherries, allow a half a pound of loaf sugar, half 
a pint of good cider vinegar, half an ounce each of powdered cinnamon, 
mixed whole cloves and allspice, and a few blades of mace. Put the 
cherries in a jar. Boil the other ingredients five minutes in the vinegar, 
and when boiling, pour the liquor over the fruit. Cover closely for a 
week before eating. 


GREEN TOMATO PICKLE. 

Slice green tomatoes and onions, sprinkle each layer with salt, let 
them stand until next day, then press all the juice out, and season very 
highly with red and black pepper, celery, mustard seed, a little turmeric, 
and some sugar; cover with vinegar, and cook until tender. 

PICKLED CUCUMBERS. 

Half gallon vinegar, three pounds brown sugar, two tablespoonfuls 
cloves, two tablespoonfuls allspice, two tablespoonfuls mustard, two 
tablespoonfuls celery, one tablespoonful of white ginger, one tablespoon¬ 
ful cinnamon, one tablespoonful black pepper, two pods green pepper, 
four lemons sliced, a little horseradish, twelve onions, and as many cu¬ 
cumbers as the vinegar will well cover. Boil all together until the cucum¬ 
bers are tender, and they will be ready for use in a week or so. To green 
the fruit: line your brass kettle with grape leaves, and then pour weak 
vinegar on the cucumbers, cover with leaves, and boil a little while. 

TOMATO CATSUP. 

Put into a preserving kettle about one pint of water, fill up the kettle 
with ripe red tomatoes, previously washed and picked, with the skins 
on; cover closely, and set on a hot fire, frequently stirring that they 

63 


may not stick to the bottom. Boil about one hour. Turn into a wooden 
tray: when cool enough, rub through a coarse sieve, through which 
neither skin nor seed can pass. Measure five quarts of this pulp, and 
boil until very thick, then add two tablespoonfuls horseradish, two table¬ 
spoonfuls white mustard seed, two tablespoonfuls celery seed, two table¬ 
spoonfuls black peper beaten fine, two or three races of ginger beaten 

fine, three or four onions chopped fine, a little garlic, one nutmeg, salt 

and sugar to the taste. Stir all in, and let it come to a boil. Pour in 

one quart of strong cider vinegar. Let it boil up once more, and take 

off the fire. Bottle, cork, and seal. 

GRAPE JELLY. 

Mash well the berries with the hands, so as to remove the skins; 
pour all into a preserving kettle, and cook slowly a^ few minutes to 
extract all the juice; strain through a colander, and’ then through a 
flannel jelly-bag, keeping as hot as possible; for if not allowed to be¬ 
come very cool before putting again on the stove, the jelly comes much 
quicker. Measure the juice, allowing a pound of loaf sugar to every 
pint of juice, and boil fast for at least half and hour. Try a little, and 
if it seems done, remove and put into glasses. 

HOME-MADE CANDIES. 

COCOANUT CARAMELS. 

Three pounds of light brown sugar, one large cocoanut, grated, one 
cup of rich milk, or cream; mix the milk and sugar, put on the fire to 
dissolve, then add the cocoanut, and stir constantly for about a half- 
hour, or until it will harden when dropped in water. Pour in buttered 
dishes and cut in squares. 

CREAM CHOCOLATES. 

Three cups of pulverized sugar, one cup of soft water, two table¬ 
spoonfuls of cornstarch, one tablespoonful of butter. Wash from the 
butter every grain of salt; stir the sugar and water together; mix in the 
cornstarch; bring to a boil, stirring constantly; boil about ten minutes. 
Take from the stove and beat as you would eggs until it begins to 
look like granulated cream; put in about a teaspoonful and a half of 
vanilla. Make into balls and lay in a dish to harden. I merely melt 
my chocolate—half-cake of Baker’s—and throw the balls in it. Some 
add a little sugar to the chocolate and beat smooth, and then throw in 
the balls. 

CARAMELS. 

Three pounds of brown sugar, half-pound of chocolate, half-pound 
of butter, one cup of cream, two tablespoonfuls of molasses, one table¬ 
spoonful of vanilla. Boil twenty-five minutes. Do not stir while boil¬ 
ing. 

MOLASSES CANDY. 

Two cups Puerto Rico molasses, two-thirds cup sugar, three table¬ 
spoons butter, one tablespoon vinegar. Put butter in kettle, and when 
melted, add sugar and molasses. Add vinegar just before taking from 

64 


fire. To make velvet molasses candy, take one cup of molasses, three 
cups sugar, one cup boiling water, three tablespoons vinegar, one-halt 
teaspoon cream tartar, one-half cup melted butter, one-fourth teaspoon 
soda. Pour first four ingredients in kettle placed over front of range. 
As soon as boiling point is reached, add cream tartar. Boil until, when 
tried in cold water, mixture will become brittle. Stir constantly during 
last part of cooking. When nearly done add butter and soda. Pour 
into a buttered pan and pull same as molasses candy. While pulling, 
add one tablespoon vanilla, one-half teaspoon lemon extract, or a few 
drops oil of peppermint or wintergreen. 

ICE CREAM CANDY, 

Three cups sugar, one-fourth teaspoon cream tartar, one-half cup boil¬ 
ing water, one-fourth tablespoon vinegar. Boil ingredients together 
without stirring, until, when tried in cold water, mixture will become 
brittle. Turn on a well-buttered platter to cool. As edges cool, fold 
toward the center. As soon as it can be handled, pull until white and 
glossy. While pulling, flavor as desired, or add melted chocolate. Cut 
in sticks or small pieces. 

VINEGAR CANDY, 

Two cups sugar, one-half cup vinegar, two tablespoons butter. Put 
butter into kettle; when melted, add sugar and vinegar. Stir until sugar 
is dissolved, afterward occasionally. Boil until, when tried in cold 
water, mixture will become brittle. Turn on a buttered platter to cool. 
Pull and cut same as molasses candy. 

PEPPERMINT DROPS. 

Three cups sugar, one cup water, six drops oil of peppermint. Boil 
ten minutes; beat until cool and drop on marble slab. Milk can be 
used instead of water, but boil longer. 

SALTED ALMONDS. 

Blanch the almonds and sprinkle with salt while damp. Melt a 
small lump of butter in a baking pan; pour the nuts into the pan and 
toast in a quick oven. 

CORRECT CUP OF COFFEE. 

HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT CUP IS AN ART 
KNOWN TO FEW. 

How to make a perfect cup of coffee is an art, which in ancient 
times, if coffee had been known, then, would have been thought to be 
a gift of the gods. . f 

The chef at one of the big New York hotels, who is noted for the 
excellence of the coffee he brews, gives this “secret” of his success: 

“ Good coffee,” he says, “and good blends are necessary in all 
cases where a good cup of coffee is expected. 

“Java gives the best satisfaction. The term ‘blend refers to the 
district from which the article comes—not to the grade. Even the best 

65 


of blends may at times lose their character by being under roasted or 
over roasted. 

“Take a granite coffee pot, free from any abrasion where the iron 
may be exposed to the coffee. The contact of these two is ruinous. 
This applies to tin pots, too; in fact, where any metal is used and it 
is exposed to the action of the coffee, or where the bottom of the pot 
or the surface edges are worn. The vessel should be a drip pot. Whether 
it be a cloth, china or metal sieve, it is best to have a drip arrangement. 
A cloth drip or bag or such a percolator as has a cloth attachment is 
recommended. 

“ Place in the granite saucepan one heaping tablespoonful of me¬ 
dium-ground coffee for each cup and a half you make. Pour enough 
hot water on it and stir with a spoon until all the coffee has been mois¬ 
tened. This procedure will take about one minute. In the meantime, 
the pot must be ready to receive this moistened coffee, which is poured 
into the percolator or bag. To this is added sufficient boiling water to 
make the number of cups of coffee to correspond with the spoonfuls of 
ground coffee used. 

“ After the coffee has dripped into the pot through the bag, draw 
the coffee off into another vessel, remove the lid from the top of the 
pot and pour this coffee through the grounds and let it drip through 
again. Continue this at least three times, allowing it to fully drip 
through; then set the coffee pot on your stove, where it is hot enough 
to have your coffee boil not less than three minutes or more than five. 

“ After it has boiled, place it in such a position on the stove that it 
will keep ready for service. Better results are obtained by allowing 
the coffee to stand in this position at least a half hour before using it. 

“ For each cup of special coffee wanted, place one teaspoonful of 
freshly ground coffee in the pot or percolator. Then pour the coffee, 
which has been drawn off, into the vessel in the pot or percolator, contain¬ 
ing the freshly ground beans. Let it drip through and you will find that 
not only will you have a coffee that is doubly strong, but with the 
flavor and aroma of the fresh-ground coffee. 



66 













TESTIMONIALS. 

From a large number of communications we have received, we take 
pleasure in presenting the following, regretting that want of space will not 
admit of using many others we have on our tiles. We thank our patrons 
for their generous words, and shall endeavor to still merit their esteem and 
confidence. 


Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I have received my goods, and am very much pleased with 
them. I was raised on a farm, and have carded, spun and wove many a 
yard of cloth in the old-fashioned loom, and know what it costs to make 
a yard of cloth, and after all that hard labor it was nothing to compare 
to your cloth. After many years of toil, I set the old loom aside, and 
decided to sell my wool for cash and buy cloth for my six boys, some 
of which were then grown. I shipped my wool several years, selling for 
cash, but after paying freight, commissions, etc., I had very little money. 
I then decided to send my wool to you, which was five years ago. I was 
so very much pleased with your goods, I have been having you manufac¬ 
ture my wool every year since, and expect to continue to do so as long 
as I have sheep. Wishing you much success, 

Respectfully yours, 

MRS. SAMUEL F. SPENCER, Buckingham, Va. 

October 17th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I have been sending my wool to you for ten years, and I 
take great pleasure in saying to the public, “Your Mills have given me 
perfect satisfaction in all that it has done for me.” I have had blankets, 
dress goods, buggy robes, and can truthfully say some of the richest and 
loveliest coverlets that my eyes ever beheld. I must say it gives me the 
greatest pleasure in saying to my friends and the public that it has done 
all it claimed to do, and without a doubt I shall patronize it as long as 
we own a sheep and you send us the goods you have. Wishing you great 
success, Respectfully, 

MRS. J. Z. BOWEN, Oliveville, Va. 

November 6th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I have received my goods all O. K., and am perfectly 
satisfied with them. I think them beautiful. I shall be glad to patronize 
you again next spring. Others in my neighborhood have said they are 
going to send to you the next clipping season. I will do all I can to 
get more customers for you. Thanking you for my nice blanket and rug. 

Respectfully, 

MRS. FRANK THORNTON, Ware Neck. 

August 31st, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: The drugget and rug received. I am highly pleased with 
everything you have made for me, and shall continue to send all wool 
to you. Truly, 

MRS. J. C. THOMAS, Raynor, Va. 

October 1st, 1899. 1 

67 



Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I write to say my goods have been received, and that my 
wool was made up according to my instruction. We were all very much 
pleased with the goods, so do not make yourself uneasy any longer about 
my wool. You have been making up my wool for a good many years— 
some ten or fifteen, I think—and you have always given satisfaction, ex¬ 
cept sometimes I thought you were too slow in sending the goods back. 
May you continue to do work as satisfactory in the future as the past., 
and I have no doubt you will be a blessing to your customers. 

Yours truly, 

WM. H. ABBITT, West Appomattox, Va. 

September nth, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills, Leaksville, N. C. 

Dear Sirs: I received blankets several days ago, and was very much 
pleased with them. Will ship you wool as fast as we get any. We haven’t 
but few sheep. Will try and get some of my neighbors to ship. 

R. O. ORGAN, Earle, Va. 

September 24th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Gentlemen: The goods arrived O. K. They give entire satisfaction. 
We think they are beautiful. The exchange plan, as you manage it, is a 
blessing to any poor man. It pays better to have wool made up on shares 
than to sell it to the merchants. It enables him to furnish his house with 
useful, durable and beautiful articles at less than half price, provided he 
sold his wool and took the money to buy such articles. Yes, sir, it pays 
a hundred per cent, better. Any man with a few sheep can furnish his 
house with all the necessities in the woolen cloth line, and all the beautiful 
rugs, carpets, etc., at almost no cost. Accept thanks. May you live 
long, prosper, and continue to be a benefactor in the land. 

Respectfully, 

J. D. GRIFFIN, Hamburg, Ala. 

September 28th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I have been shipping my wool to Leaksville for several 
years . Have had cloth, rugs, yarn, buggy robes and counterpanes, all of 
them made up from my wool, and they are beautiful. All of them are 
of good quality, and give perfect satisfaction. Glad we have such an 
opportunity of having our wool worked up so nicely. 

GRANDY B. DOXEY, 
and wife, 

MARY S. DOXEY, 

Creeds, Va. 

October 3d, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Gents: Goods received and give satisfaction. I have been dealing 
with your Mills for three or four years, and your goods have always given 
entire satisfaction as to manufacture, and the promptness with which the 
orders have been attended to. Respectfully, 

R. LEBBY, M.D., Fort Johnson, S. C. 

October 4th, 1899. 


68 


Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: My carpet has arrived, and I am very much pleased with 
it. It is beautiful. I have been pleased with all the work you have done 
for me—rugs, blankets, skirts and carpet. You may look for our next 
clipping of wool another year. Respectfullv, 

MRS. S. J. COSTIN, Cheapside, Va. 

September 23d, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I highly appreciate your turnout this year. My wool was 
worse with burs and dirt than I ever had it, but I got the best turnout 
I ever had. Yours, 

TOM MARTIN, Meherrin, Va. 

September 26th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I received the goods and am very much pleased with 
them. Yours truly, 

J. S. KERNACHAN, Florence, Ala. 

October nth, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: The carpet which you made for us was received yester¬ 
day, and we are so well pleased with it that I write at once to express my 
appreciation for your promptness. My wife is so well pleased with the 
carpet and work that she says she would not take $25 for it now. I’ve 
had carpet and blankets made at your mills, and have found the work 
O. K. in every respect. I know of no establishment that puts more 
brains and money into the texture of the goods it sends out. I can safely 
recommend your mills to the public. I am well pleased with the car¬ 
pet, and I don’t think I ever saw a prettier pattern in my life. I take 
great pleasure in testifying to the good quality of all goods received from 
you in exchange for wool, and also to the courtesy and fairness with 
which you have always treated me. Very respectfully, 

J. W. WILCOX, Kehukee, N. C. 

September 23d, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I received my goods. We are well pleased with them, 
and take pleasure in testifying to your integrity, believing you to be hon¬ 
est, upright gentlemen. Truly yours, 

SARAH A. BARNES, Vicksville, Va. 

June 20th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I received a nice pair of blankets in good order. I am 
well pleased with your work. I’ve dealt with you two years with much 
satisfaction. I think I shall continue to deal with you. I get better pay 
for my wool in this way than any other. 

Truly yours, 

W. T. MEARS, Bridgetown, Va. 

July 15th, 1899. 

69 


Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Gentlemen: This will acknowledge receipt of my last and fourth ship¬ 
ment of blankets and robes from your mills; and I take pleasure in stat¬ 
ing that in each and every order your work has given entire satisfaction. 
I shall in the future, as previously, be pleased to call the attention of my 
friends to your splendid work. Very respectfully, 

MRS. JOHN H. CRAIG, Gastonia, N. C. 


Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: You have been manufacturing for me three years, and I 
am entirely pleased with your goods. Expect to patronize you again. 
Wishing you much success, Truly yours, 

FRANK T. JONES, Olden Place, Va. 

July 17th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: The goods you sent me came all O. K., and I am well 
pleased with them; also L. J. Kiker is well pleased with his goods. 

Yours truly, 

JOHN W. KIKER, Diamond Hill, N. C. 

August 17th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: Your very handsome rugs have been received. I have 
sent wool to your mills for five years, and am more pleased each year 
with the goods sent me. Respectfully, 

JOHN C. BALL, Cordesville, S. C. 

July 14th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: With pleasure I wish to state to you I received the blank¬ 
ets. I think them very nice—were nicer than I expected, and will with 
pleasure show them to my friends and neighbors that they may be bene¬ 
fited by my experience, and you may expect to hear from me again after 
shearing time. With many, many thanks, respectfully, 

MRS. M. E. GRIFFIN, Eva, N. C. 

September 18th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I have received my goods, and will say that I can recom¬ 
mend your work to any and all persons to be first-class in every respect. 

Truly, ELIZA A. BAXTER, Currituck, N. C. 

July 25th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: The goods from your mills in exchange for wool were 
received to-day. My wife and family are delighted with them, and would 
not take twice what they cost for them. We will show them to our 
friends, and recommend your factory with great pleasure. 

Truly yours, 

REV. S. W. ROBERTS, Newbern, Ala. 

June 16th, 1899. 


70 


Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I was very much pleased with my skirt, and it fits per¬ 
fectly. It is the nicest I have had. I have recommended Col. Mclver’s 
family to send and get skirts. With best wishes. 

Sincerely, 

MRS. HELEN S. JAMES, Palmetto, S. C. 

July ntl>. 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: The goods I received in exchange for my wool gave per¬ 
fect satisfaction, and also Mr. Barnes was highly pleased with his goods. 
We are ready to do all we can for you at any time. 

Sincerely yours, 

JACOB BLANCHARD, Vivian, N. C. 

July 18th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I write to let you know I received my blankets, and am 
highly pleased with them. I wish I had a whole drove of sheep so I 
could send the wool to Leaksville. I can recommend your mill to any 
one having wool to be cheapest in the state, on account of its easy terms. 
Truly yours, 

MARY B. MITCHELL, Lodo, N. C. 

July 10th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: Goods received for wool shipped you, and give entire 
satisfaction. I have been shipping you wool for twelve or fifteen years, 
and have always been well pleased with goods received. 

Truly yours, 

JOHN W. KIKER, Diamond Hill, N. C. 

August 17th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: My package has arrived, and the goods are satisfactory. 
The tailor-made skirt fits well and is nicely made. The goods sent are 
all I would ask. Yours respectfully, 

MRS. JOS. S. JAMES, Selden, Va. 

June 27th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: Have just received my goods from Leaksville Mills, and 
find everything so nice and satisfactory that I am obliged to write to 
acknowledge its reception. I always like all your goods. 

Respectfully, MRS. C. H. MANSON, Ordsburg, Va. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: It affords me a great deal of pleasure to say to you that 
your work done for me in working up my wool gives me entire satisfac¬ 
tion. Don’t think your designs and workmanship can be excelled. Wish¬ 
ing you success, I am, Very respectfully, 

W. F. HARRISON, Gasburg, Va, 

August 5th, 1899. 

71 


Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I have just received my goods from your mills from this 
year’s crop of wool. It is now lying on the floor for the family and my 
neighbors to inspect. We are all highly pleased with the carpets, rugs, 
etc. I often think what a fool I was not to have patronized you sooner. 

Truly yours, 

R. B. TURNBULL, Lawrencevlle, Va. 

June 30th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I write to say I have been doing business with you for 
ten to twelve years, and have always been entirely satisfied. You have 
made blankets, carpet, skirts and other goods, and will say I have saved 
lots of money every time, as your goods always last longer than any I 
can buy for anything like the money, and can always find ready sale for 
more than I ever have to sell at a good price. You can always count on 
my friendship. I am yours, well pleased, 

R. D. MABEN, Blackstone, Va. 

November 4th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I take pleasure in writing you in regard to the work you 
did for me. I must say that I am more than pleased with the blankets 
you made for me. Truly, 

J. W. O’BRIEN, Forbes, Va. 

November 7th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I have been a patron of your mills for a good many years, 
and have had blankets, art squares, carpeting and pants goods, all of 
which I have been highly pleased with, and gladly recommend your 
mills to all. Will send you all the orders I can. 

Truly. MRS. S. J. RAWLINGS, Diamond Grove, Va. 

November 9th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I have received my goods, and am entirely pleased with 
them. Can say you have acted honestly in every respect since I have been 
sending you my wool. Yours truly, 

LUCY B. SAUNDERS, Turner, Va. 

September 1st, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: The goods arrived last evening from the mills, and I take 
pleasure in saying they were all more than satisfactory. One would be 
hard to please that could find any fault with the work you do. I have 
had from you white and colored blankets, carpet, rugs, art squares, and 
regard each and all as beyond criticism. I should unhesitatingly advise 
any one having wool to be made up to send it to the Leaksville Mills. 
Thanking you for your upright dealing, correctness of detail, and the 
beautiful work just sent me, I remain, yours respectfully, 

MRS. JUDGE T. M. MILLER, Powhatan C. H., Va. 

October 6th, 1899. 


72 


Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: Your bundle reached me yesterday, and the goods are 
beautiful. The ones you made for me last year have been much admired 
by many people. I will take pleasure in giving your advertising card a 
conspicuous place. Hoping to have further dealings with you, 

Very truly yours, 

N. B. COOKE, Taylorsville, Va. 

August 25th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sir: My cloth came all right, and I was well pleased with it. 
I was highly pleased with the blankets and the dress goods I received 
from your factory, and as long as I raise sheep I expect to patronize your 
mill. I would not be without your blankets for a great deal. 

Yours respectfully, 

WILLIAM T. CLARK, Meherrin, Va. 

September 16th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I am specially pleased with your way of doing business. 
I am perfectly satisfied with the work you did for me. I can recom¬ 
mend your mills to my friends, as I am highly pleased. I shall ship more 
wool next season, and will advise my friends to ship their wool to the 
Leaksville Woolen Mills, N. C., and I am sure they will get entire satis¬ 
faction. As I am specially pleased, it affords me pleasure to recommend 
to others. Yours respectfully, 

W. A. CANNON, Mecklenburg County, Va. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I received my coverlets all right. I was well pleased 
with them. I think they are the prettiest I ever saw. I am so well 
pleased that I will have more next fall. I have recommended your nice 
work to all of my neighbors. They say they will have coverlets next fall. 

Truly yours, MARY C. DAVIS. 

1 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I take pleasure in notifying you that I have received goods 
ordered, and I am pleased beyond expectation with the beauty and quality 
of carpet and blankets. I also wish to thank you for promptness in fill¬ 
ing my order. Respectfully, 

MRS. WM. F. JONES, Lawrenceville, Va. 

November 3d, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: It is with much pleasure that I write to tell you that I 
have received my goods O.K., and am entirely pleased with them. I got 
more than I expected. I show my goods and my beautiful blankets and 
coverlets that I have gotten from year to year for a long time to my 
friends. Think I have been instrumental in several sending their wool 
to you. Wishing you great success, 

I am most respectfully, 

MRS. E. C. GEE, Lockleven, Va. 

October 26th, 1899. 


73 


Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: My goods arrived last night. I was never more pleased 
at the contents of any package in my life. I have been dealing with you 
for two years, and find you just in every sense. Heartily will I recom¬ 
mend you to all. Wishing you much success in the future, 

Your friend, SAMUEL G. WEBB, Chuckatuck, Va. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I have been patronizing your mills for three years, and 
your goods have always proved satisfactory, and I expect to continue 
patronizing you as long as you do satisfactory work. We are also much 
pleased with your prompt returns. Yours truly, 

W. S. DUNCAN, Cartersville, Va. 

September 18th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I write to say the goods gave perfect satisfaction, even 
better than in previous years. Yours truly, 

C. A. SLOOP. 


Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: I write to state that our blankets have been received in 
nice order, and to say the least, they are beautiful. Our transactions 
with you have been very satisfactory, and we have been specially pleased 
■syith such articles received from you in exchange for our wool. We have 
been dealing with you for several years, and no one could have given 
us better satisfaction. We shall deal with you in the future, feeling that 
you will do all in your power to please us. 

Yours truly, R. B. STORY, Newsom’s, Va. 

October 10th, 1899. 

Leaksville Woolen Mills. 

Dear Sirs: The goods manufactured by you received in splendid con¬ 
dition, giving full and entire satisfaction in every particular. I have 
never seen more beautiful workmanship or handled finer texture. Your 
enterprise I esteem as a blessing to the country, and most heartily recom¬ 
mend the Leaksville Mills to all who want first-grade goods, and the 
managers of the same for their upright, honest dealing. Farmers, raise 
sheep, patronize and encourage this enterprise, and declare war against 
cut-tail curs. Respectfully, 

ROBERT P. JAMES, Croaker, Va. 



74 








INTEREST RULES, 

For finding the interest on any principal for any number of days, the 
answer in each case being in cents, separate the two right hand figures of 
answer to express dollars and cents: 

4 per cent.—Multiply the principal by the number of days to run; 
separate right hand figure from product and divide by 9. 

5 per cent.—Multiply by number of days and divide by 72. 

6 per cent.—Multiply by number of days, separate right hand figure 
and divide by 6. 

8 per cent.—Multiply by number of days and divide by 45. 

9 per cent.—Multiply by number of days, separate right hand figure 
and divide by 4. 

10 per cent.—Multiply by number of days and divide by 36. 

12 per cent.—Multiply by number of days, separate right hand figure 
and divide by 3. 

15 per cent.—Multiply by number of days and divide by 24. 

18 per cent.—Multiply by number of days, separate right hand figure 
and divide by 2. 

20 per cent.—Multiply by number of days and divide by 18. 


WEIGHT OF THE STATUTORY BUSHEL, 


(Minimum weight by U. S. Statute). 


Apples, dried . . . 

. per bushel, 26 lbs. 

Barley. 


4 2 

Beans, castor . . 

1 4 

46 

Beans, white ..... 

(4 

60 “ 

Bluegrass seed 

< i 

44 “ 

Bran. 


20 “ 

Buckwheat. 

(( 

48 “ 

Clover Seed. 

4 i 

60 “ 

Coal. 

i i 

80 “ 

Corn, shelled. 

it 

56 “ 

Corn, in the ear . . . . 

i1 

70 ‘ 

Corn-meal. 

1 4 

48 “ 

Flaxseed . 

41 

s 6 ;; 

Hair, plastering . . . . 

( . 

8 “ 

Hempseed . . . . . 

4 4 

44 “ 

Hungarian-grass seed . 


50 *• 


Lime, unslacked.per bushel, 30 lbs 

Malt. 

Millet Seed. 

Oats. 

Onions .... . 

Peaches, dried . 

Peas . . 

Peas, ground (pea-meal) 

Potatoes, Irish. 

Potatoes, sweet .... 

Rye. 

Salt, fine. 

Salt, coarse . 

Timothy Seed . 

Turnips .. 

Wheat. 


38 *; 

50 ! 
32 

57 “ 


24 “ 
60 “ 

55 “ 

56 “ 
167 “ 
151 “ 

45 “ 
55 “ 


A SHORT TABLE OF CAPACITIES, 

1828 solid inches make 1 bushel unslacked lime, coal or coke. 

A box 14x14x13^ inches in the clear holds 1 bushel. 

A box 14x7x13^ inches in the clear holds ]/ 2 bushel. 

A box 7x7x13^ inches in the clear holds 1 peck. 

A bucket or other cylindrical vessel 7 inches in diameter and 6 inches 
deep holds one gallon, wine measure, and a similar vessel 7 inches in diame¬ 
ter and 7 Ys inches deep holds 1 gallon, beer measure. 


LATIN PHRASES IN FREQUENT USE, 

Ad libitum .—At pleasure. 

Ad valorem .—According to value. 

A fortiori .—With strong cause. 

A posteriori .—From effect to cause. 

A priori .—From cause to effect. 


75 






























Certiorari. —To be made more certain. 

Contra bonos mores. —Against good morals. 

Fiat justitia mat coelum. —Let justice be done though the heavens 
should fall. 

i. e. —That is. 

Ipso facto. —By the act itself. 

Mandamas. —A royal command. 

Ne sutor ultra crepidam. —Let not the shoemaker go beyond his last. 
Nisi prius. —Unless sooner. 

Nolle pros. —Not willing to prosecute. 

Non sequitur. —It does not follow. 

Prima facie. —At first view. 

Sic itur ad astra. —Thus is the road to immortality. 

Suaviter in modo. —Gentleness in manner. 

Summum bonum. —The highest good. 

Suppressio veri. —Suppression of the truth. 

Suum cuique. —Let every one have his own. 

Tria juncta in uno. —Three in one. 

Uti possidetis. —As you now possess. 

Vade mecum. —Go with me. 

Vi et armis. —By force. 

Viva voce. —By word of mouth. 


TITLES OF WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES. 


First anniversary—The cotton wedding. 
Second anniversary—The paper wedding. 
Third anniversary—The leather wedding. 
Fifth anniversary—The wooden wedding. 
Seventh anniversary—The woolen wedding. 
Tenth anniversary—The tin wedding. 
Twelfth anniversary—The silken wedding. 


Fifteenth anniversary—The glass wedding. 
Twentieth anniversary—The china wedding. 
Twenty-fifth anniversary—The silver wed¬ 
ding. 

Fiftieth anniversary—The golden wedding. 
Seventy-fifth anniversary — The diamond 
wedding. 


LITTLE TIPS FOR HOUSEKEEPERS. 

Fish may be scaled much easier by first dipping them into boiling 
water for a minute. 

Fresh meat beginning to sour will sweeten if placed out of door in 
the cool air over night. 

Boiling starch is much improved by the addition of sperm or salt, or 
both, or a little gum arabic dissolved. 

A tablespoonful of turpentine boiled with your white clothes will 
greatly aid the whitening process. 

Kerosene oil will soften boots and shoes that have been hardened by 
water. 

Thoroughly wetting the hair once or twice with a solution of salt and 
water will keep it from falling out. 

Salt fish are quickest and best freshened by soaking in sour milk. 

One teaspoonful of ammonia to a teacup of water, applied with a rag, 
will clean silver or gold jewelry perfectly. 

Salt will curdle new milk, hence, in preparing porridge, gravies, etc., 
salt should not be added until the dish is prepared. 

Paint stains that are dry and old may be removed from cotton or 
woolen goods with chloroform. 

Clear boiling water will remove tea stains; pour the water through 
the stain, and thus prevent its spreading over the fabric. 



THE LONGEST DAY. 

At Stockholm, Sweden, the longest day is eighteen and one-half 
hours. 

At Spitzbergen the longest day is three and one-half months. 

At London, England, and Bremen, Prussia, the longest day has six¬ 
teen and one-half hours. 

At Hamburg, in Germany, and Dantzig, in Prussia, the longest day 
has seventeen hours. 

At Wardbury, Norway, the longest day lasts from May 21st to July 
22d, without interruption. 

At St. Petersburgh, Russia, and Tobolsk, Siberia, the longest day is 
nineteen hours, and the shortest five hours. 

At Tornea, Finland, June 21st brings a day nearly twenty-two hours 
long, and Christmas one less than three hours in length. 

At New York the longest day is about fifteen hours, and at Montreal, 
Canada, it is sixteen hours. 

HINTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE. 

The finest grained beef is the best. The fat should be a pale cream 
color, not yellow. 

The lean of mutton should be red and the fat white. 

In choice poultry the breast is broad, the feet pliable, and toes easily 
broken. 

Fresh fish have bright eyes and red gills. 

A little gum arabic and common soda added to starch makes shirt 
bosoms glossy. 

Magnesia will remove grease spots from silk or cloth if well rubbed 
in, and after standing awhile apply soft brown paper to the wrong side and 
press with a warm iron. 

To keep white hands—dip them in lemon juice or vinegar-water im¬ 
mediately after they have been in soap suds. 

Hair brushes can be washed without being made stiff by putting a 
little soda into the boiling water, using cold water to rinse them in. 

Hoarseness will be instantly relieved by the free use of horse-radish. 

To cure hiccoughs hold the breath as long as possible; or drink as 
many mouthfuls of water as possible. 

IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. 

HANDY HELPS IN EMERGENCIES WHILE WAITING FOR A DOCTOR. 

For Burns.—Linseed oil and lime water give prompt relief. If this is 
not at hand any simple ointment may be used. 

For Cinders in the Eye—Curl a strip of soft paper into a pencil, 
moisten the end, and turning up the eye lid, the cinder may be removed 
without difficulty. 

For Bruises—Lay a cloth over the injured part which should be kept 
moist by trickling water. 

For Bleeding—Apply pressure. If the bleeding is profuse, use a 
tourniquet which can be made with a bit of cord, twisting it tightly by 
means of a stick. For nose bleed, plug the nostrils with cotton saturated 
with gum arabic water. 


77 


For Choking—Press upon the root of the tongue so as to produce 
vomiting. 

For Drowning—Restore circulation and respiration by lifting the arms 
above the head, and then lowering them. Rub the body and put it in warm 
blankets. Give wine or brandy when the patient shows signs of life. 

For Suffocation—Throw cold water in the face; open all windows 
and doors; try to promote respiration; put the feet in hot water. 

TO JUDGE A HORSE. 

A horse’s age is best shown by his teeth'. At three years old he sheds 
one or more on each side of the central teeth. At four he drops the two 
corner ones. Between four and five he cuts the under teeth. At five he 
cuts the upper ones. At nine the teeth begin to show wear. 

A horse that is broad between the eyes is most intelligent and most 
easily trained. 

A light sorrel or chestnut horse with white marks upon him is usually 
gentle. 

White horses are most susceptible to cold. 

Black horses are usually the first to succumb to heat. 

As a rule parti-colored horses are docile and safe. 

A liberal bran mash given every night is good for a horse troubled 
with heaves. 

LITTLE HINTS ON COLOR AND DRESS. 

The blonde may wear any of the neutral tints, such as drab, russet 
and brown. 

Dark violet shading off into a lighter tints goes well with golden hair. 

Green or any of its shades becomes most blondes. Very light blondes 
look particularly well in nile green and the kindred shades. 

As a rule blondes may wear any color except reds. 

Brunettes look best in scarlet, yellow, orange and such striking tints, 
but they may also wear white or black effectively. 

Dark green also sets off a brunette’s complexion finely. 

The colors in a costume should harmonize. Black and orange accord 
well; also black and white; black and maize; black and scarlet; black 
and slate color; black, navy blue and yellow. 

Blue goes with gold, orange, salmon, drab, white, gray, chestnut, 
black and brown. 

Red goes with gold, green, orange, yellow, black and white. 

Purple goes with gold, orange, and maize. 

Crimson goes with orange, purple, maize, black and drab. 

The dress should always suit the occasion. 

Too many rings make a hand unsightly however fair it be. 

Diamonds are not for young ladies, save on special occasions. 

Pearls and opals are in good taste for young ladies. 

Young women should never accept gifts of value except from those 
to whom they are betrothed. 

Undergarments should not be elaborately trimmed. 

Garters too tightly worn are apt to cause varicose veins. 

Garters worn below the knee spoil the shape of the limb. 

Unlaundered clothing requires frequent airing. 


78 


HINTS ON GOOD LOOKS. 

A soft flannel face cloth is best. 

In washing the face press it with the cloth, don’t rub it. 

Cold cream thinly applied is good to prevent chapping. 

A recipe for wrinkles: Alcohol 12 grammes; tincture of benzoin 2 
grammes; judea balsam 5 drops; liquid storax 2 drops. A few drops of 
this compound in a glass of water makes a good face lotion at bed time. 
Let it dry on. 

Eat fruit plentifully to have a good complexion. 

Biting the lips spoils their appearance. 

Olive oil is good to freshen the lips and improve their color. 

Powdered charcoal applied with a brush not too hard is an excellent 
whitener for the teeth. 

Over sleeping is as bad as over' eating for those inclined to corpu¬ 
lence. 

Hair that tends to become thin should be frequently clipped on the 
ends. 

Trim the eyebrows every few weeks. It helps their growth. 

A pinch of borax in water makes a good eye wash. 

Slippers without heels are bad for the shape of the feet. 

Much sea bathing roughens the complexion. 

Bran and oatmeal are both useful to whiten the hands. 

Powdered oris root is good to disguise the odor of perspiration. 

The proper length for finger nails is just level with the finger tips. 

POINTS IN ETIQUETTE. 

A young lady should not shake hands with a gentleman on being in¬ 
troduced. 

A lady or gentleman entering a room should be announced in a 
moderate tone of voice. 

In introductions pronounce names clearly. 

Every visiting card received demands the recognition of a return card. 

Introductions require prompt answers. 

It is always the lady’s place to first recognize the gentleman. 

It is no longer thought necessary for gentlemen to remove their hats 
in elevators in deference to ladies. 

It is bad manners to come late to a public performance or to go early. 

RULES FOR SMOKING. 

Never smoke in the presence of ladies without permission. 

Don’t smoke before breakfast, especially if you find you are smoking 
more than you ought to. 

Smoke leisurely. Half the, good of a cigar is lost when you go at it 
vigorously as if it were a task. 

Don’t light a cigar on one edge. See that it is lighted all round. A 
cigar is like a lamp-wick; half the character is in the even lighting. 

If your cigar goes out before you have finished it blow the dead 
smoke out of it or it will be rank when re-lighted. 

After dinner or after supper are the best times for smoking, whether 
from the standpoints of health or enjoyment. 

Don’t leave “stumps” around on the mantelpiece or the window¬ 
sill. Few wives can stand untidiness. 


79 


THE LAW OF FINDING* 

The law of finding is this: The finder has a clear title against the 
whole world except the owner. The proprietor of a hotel or a shop may 
make regulations in regard to lost property which will bind employees, 
but cannot bind the public. The police have no special rights in regard 
to articles lost, unless those rights are conferred by statute. Receivers of 
articles found are trustees for the owner or finder. They have no power 
in the absence of special statute to keep an article against the finder, any 
more than the finder has to retain an article against the owner. 


BUSINESS LAWS* 

If a note is lost or stolen it does not release the maker; he must pay it 
if the consideration for which it was given and the amount can be proven. 

Notes bear interest only when so stated. 

Principals are responsible for the acts of their agents. 

Each individual in a partnership is responsible for the whole amount 
of the debts of the firm, except in cases of a special partnership. The 
word “limited,” in connection with a firm name, indicates that a limitation 
of responsibility for each member is fixed. 

Ignorance of the law excuses no one. 

An agreement without consideration of value is void. 

A note made on a Sunday is void, also one dated ahead of its issue. 
It may be dated back at pleasure. 

Contracts made on Sunday cannot be enforced. 

A note by a minor is void in some States, and in others it is voidable 
on judicial decison. 

A contract made with a minor, or a lunatic, is void. 

A note obtained by fraud or from a person in a state of intoxication 
cannot be collected. It is a fraud to conceal a fraud. Signatures made 
with a lead pencil are good in law. The acts of one partner bind the rest. 

“Value received” is usually written in a note, and should be, but it 
is not necessary. If not written it is presumed by the law or may be 
supplied by proof. 

The maker of an “accommodation” bill or note (one for which he 
had received no consideration), having lent his name or credit for the 
benefit of the holder, is not bound to the person accommodated, but is 
bound to all other parties, precisely as if there was a good consideration. 

No consideration is sufficient in law if it be illegal in its nature. 

Checks or drafts must be presented for payment without unreasonable 
delay. 

An indorsee has a right of action against all whose names were on 
the bill when he received it. 

If the letter containing a protest of nonpayment be put into the post- 
office, any miscarriage does not affect the party giving notice. 

Notes of protest may be sent either to the place of business or resi¬ 
dence of the party notified. 


80 


EVENTS INIOUR HISTORY. 

1492 Columbus discovered America. 

1519 Cortez began the Conquest of Mexico. 

1607 Jamestown, Va., was settled. 

1620 Pilgrims by the Mayflower landed. 

1623 Manhattan Island settled. 

1634 Maryland settled by Roman Catholics. 

1636 Rhode Island settled by Roger Williams. 

1664 New York taken from the Dutch. 

1682 Pennsylvania settled by William Penn. 

1690 First newspaper in America, at Boston. 

1759 Canada taken from the French. 

1773 Steam engine perfected by Watt. 

1773 Tea destroyed in Boston Harbor. 

1775 Battle of Lexington, April 19. 

1775 Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17. 

1776 Declaration of Independence. 

1777 Burgoyne’s surrender, October 17. 

1781 Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown. 

1787 United States Constitution adopted. 

1789 Washington first inaugurated President, April 30. 
1803 Louisiana purchased from the French. 

1807 Fulton’s first steamboat voyage. 

1812 Second war with Great Britain began. 

1813 Perry’s victory on Lake Erie. 

1815 Battle of New Orleans, January 8. 

1819 First steamboat crossed the Atlantic. 

1820 Missouri Compromise adopted. 

1823 Monroe Doctrine declared, December 2. 

1828 First passenger railroad in the United States. 
1832 South Carolina Nullification Ordinance. 

1835 Morse invented the telegraph. 

1835 Seminole war in Florida began. 

1845 Texas annexed. 

1846 Sewing machine completed by Elias FI owe. 

1846 War with Mexico began. 

1848 Gold discovered in California. 

1859 John Brown’s raid in Virginia. 

1861 Outbreak of Civil War. 

1861 Battle of Bull Run, July 21. 

1863 Slavery abolished in the United States, January 
1863 Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to 3. 

1865 Lee surrendered at Appomattox, April 9. 

1865 President Lincoln assassinated, April 14. 

1867 Emperor Maximilian of Mexico executed. 

1871 The great fire in Chicago. 

1872 The great fire in Boston. 

1876 Centennial Exposition. 

1881 President Garfield shot, July 2. 

1889 Brazil became a Republic. 

1893 Columbia Exposition at Chicago. 

1897 Klondike gold discovery. 

1898 War with Spain. 

1900 Leaksville Woolen Mills enlarged. 


THE PITH ’OF MANY BOOKS. 

A square mile contains 640 acres. 

Telescopes were invented in 1590. 

A barrel of rice weighs 600 pounds. 

A barrel of flour weighs 196 pounds. 

A barrel of pork weighs 200 pounds. 

A firkin of butter weighs 56 pounds. 

A span is ten and seven-eighth inches. 

A hand (horse measure) is four inches. 

Watches were first constructed in 1476. 

The average human life is thirty-one years. 

Modern needles first came into use in 1545. 

Space has a temperature of 200 degrees below zero. 

The first newspaper advertisement appeared in 1652. 

Robert Bonner refused $100,000 for the trotter Maud S. 

Until 1776 cotton spinning was performed by the hand-spinning wheel. 
Measure 209 feet on each side and you will have a square acre 
within an inch. 

The first steam engine on this continent was brought from England 
in 1753 - 

The first knives were used in England, and the first wheeled carriage 
in France in 1559. 



THE GRAMMAR IN RHYME. 

Of course the whole science of grammar cannot be comprised in 
twenty lines of verse, says the Standard American Encyclopedia, but the 
ten couplets which are here given have started many learners upon the 
difficult road which leads to the mastery of language: 

Three little words you often see, • 

Are articles, a, an and the. 

A noun’s the name of anything, 

As school or garden, hoop or swing. 

Adjectives tell the kind of noun, 

As great, small, pretty, white or brown. 

Instead of nouns the pronouns stand, 

Her head, his face, your arm, my hand. 

Verbs tell of something to be done— 

To read, count, laugh, sing, jump or run. 

How things are done the adverbs tell, 

As slowly, quickly; ill or well. 

Conjunctions join the words together, 

As man and woman, wind or weather. 

The preposition stands before 
A noun, as in or through the door. 

The interjection shows surprise, 

As 0 / how pretty! ah! how wise. 

The whole are called nine parts of speech, 

Which reading, writing, speaking, teach. 


82 


ALPHABETICAL LIST OF INVENTIONS 
AND INVENTORS. 

Invention. Inventor. Date. 

Air Gun .Morin.1595 

Anaesthetics.Morton .1846 

Air Brake .Westinghouse.1869 

Air Pump.Otto von Guencke. 654 

Aluminium.Oersted.1817 

Anchor .Anacharsis, the Scythian. 594 B.C. 

Artificial Ice.Vallance .1824 

Balloon.Montgolfier.1783 

Bicycle.Lallemont .1866 

Barometer .Evangelista Torricelli .1643 

Blast Furnace .Siemens.1833 

Bessemer Steel .Bessemer .1855 

Bellows .Anacharsis, the Scythian. 593 B.C. 

Breech-loading Firearms. 1811 

Clock.(Unknown, first one erected in Padua 

in the nth century) 

Concrete Pavement.Straub .1863 

Color Photography.Lippmann.1890 

Dial .Anaximander . 550 B.C. 

Diving Bell .Unknown .1509 

Electric Motor.Jacobi.1834 

Electric Clock.Wheatstone .1840 

Elevated Railway .Palmer .1821 

Electric Light.Sir Humphrey Davy .1813 

Electro Magnet.Sturgeon.1825 

Electrotype.Spencer and Jacobi.1837 

Engraving.Chinese.1000 B.C. 

Firearms .Unknown.1364 

Fire Engines .Hantsch .1657 

Fresnel Lens.Fresnel.1823 

Gas .Van Helmont .1600-1625 

Gasmeter.Robinson .1831 

Geographical Maps.Anaximander . 550 

Glass .Phoenicians .date unknown 

Gun Cotton.Schoenbein .1816 

Gun Powder .Barthold Schwarz .1320 

India Rubber goods.Chaffee .1836 

Illuminating Gas.Eustis and Zigler.1815 

Ironclad Ships.Thos. Gregg .1814 

Lightning Conductors .... Benj. Franklin.1752 

Lime Light .Drummond .,...1826 

Locomotive.James Watt.1759 

Matches... Walker .1827 

Miners’ Safety Lamp.Davy .1815 

Postage Stamp .Norton.1859 

Phonograph.Edison.1877 

Parrott Gun .Parrott .1862 

Platform Scales .Fairbanks.1831 

Photography .Wedgewood.1802 

83 































































































Invention. 


Inventor. 


Date. 


Pneumatic Dispatch . 

Piano Forte. 

Reaping Machine 

Railway Cars. 

Rapid-fire Gun. 

Repeating Rifle . 

Sewing Machine .... 

Sleeping Cars. 

Stem-winding Watch 

Steam Hammer. 

Steamboat. 

Steamboat. 

Steel Pen. 

Steam Fire Engine . . 
Screw Propellor .... 

Steam Engine. 

Steam Printing Press 
Suspension Bridge . . 
Submarine Cable .... 

Telegraph. 

Typewriting machine 

Torpedo . 

Truss Bridge . 

Telephone . 

Turrett Monitor. 

Thermometer. 

Wireless Telegraphy . 
Wood Paper. 


Clark and Varley.1854 

.Bartolomeo Gutenberg .1438 

McCormick .1834 

Knight.1829 

Gatling .1861 

Sharp .1848 

Elias Howe.1841 

Woodruff .1856 

Noel.1852 

Naysmith .1838 

Symington (on the Clyde).1802 

Robt. Fulton.1807 

Wise.1803 

Ericsson .1830 

Ericsson and Smith.1836 

Janies Watt .1763 

Konig .1814 

Telford .1S18 

Wheatstone .1843 

S. F. B. Morse. .1837 

Thurber .1843 

David Bushnell.1777 

Price and Phillips.1841 

Elisha Gray, Thos. A. Edison and 

A. G. Bell.1877 

Ericsson .1862 

Drebbel, Sanctorius .1609 

Marconi .1896 

Walls and Burgess .1863 



84 

























































INTERESTING STATISTICS. 


MATERIAL ADVANCE IN THE SOUTH. 


Some facts condensed from an article in “Harper’s Weekly.” 


The wonderful industrial progress in the Southern States during the 
past two decades, has, probably, never been equalled in any other part 
of the world. We are now making a great variety of articles for which 
the old-time planters were dependent upon the northern factories or 
secured from abroad. We have demonstrated our ability to make our 
own cotton and woolen goods and our own furnaces have set the market 
price for the world. Our railroad systems have been perfected and fully 
equipped. Our cities have taken on a new vitality, and our farmers 
have diversified their crops. From recent statistics, we present a few 
leading items which should be a source of pride to every man who reads 
them. 


1880. 

Wages paid to factory hands . $75,900,000 

Bushels of grain grown. 431,000,000 

Capital invested in cotton seed. $3,500,000 

Cotton crop, bales . 5,750,000 

Cotton worked up in Southern mills, bales .. 233,886 

Capital invested in cotton mills.$21,900,000 

Coal mined, tons. 6,000,000 

Capital invested in manufacturing.$257,000,000 

Pig iron produced, tons. 397,000 

Railroal mileage. 20,600 


1899. 

$350,000,000 
736,6 00,000 
$40,000,000 
11,274,000 
i,399.ooo 
$125,000,000 
40,000,000 
$1,000,000,000 
2,500,000 
50,000 


The largest ships ever built in America were recently launched from 
a Southern ship yard (at Newport News, Va.) Southern rails, loco¬ 
motives and coke are going abroad, and in timber we hold a great 
reserve supply which is in itself the wealth of an empire. 


THE MARCH OF PROGRESS IN THE UNITED STATES. 

The following facts indicate in some degree, the wonderful advance 
our country has made within the past five years: 

1. Population advances at a slower pace than ever before recorded, 
which is due, not merely to restricted laws against immigrants, but also 
to a diminution of natural increase, arising apparently from higher death 
rate. 

2. Import trade has fallen off thirty per cent, in five years, partly 
owing to changes in the tariff, partly to a fall of prices, partly to the 
development of home manufactures. On the other hand, exports have 
risen by $400,000,000. 

3. Manufacturing industry appears to have grown prodigiously, the 
consumption of raw material showing an increase all around, of about 50 
per cent, in five years. 

4. Agricultural interests are prosperous as regards tillage, the area 
under grain having risen 10,000,000 acres since 1893, but pastoral farm¬ 
ing seems to have suffered, the number of live stock falling 25,000,000, the 
value being $6,000,000 less. 


85 








5. Mining shows a great increase in the production of gold, copper 
and petroleum, while there has been, of course, a decline in the output 
of silver. 

6. Finances have been deranged by a heavy fall of import dues and 
an increase of expenditure resulting from the war with Spain. The 
deficit of 1898, reached $103,000,000. Public debt has arisen $250 000,000 
since 1893. 

7. Money actually in circulation has risen $241,000,000, entirely in 
gold, silver and paper money, showing no sensible change. At the 
same time, the Treasury nas had an increase of $15,000,000 in gold and 
$22,000,000 in silver. 

8. Banking business, to judge by the national banks, has increased 
30 per cent, in five years, or three times as fast as population, an unques¬ 
tionable proof of the general prosperity of the Union 

9. Notwiths anding the increase in mileage, the gross receipts of rail¬ 
roads fell $83,000,000, the net profits $21,000,000. 

10. The tonnage of port entries has risen 30 per cent., but this has 
been entirely in ships carrying foreign flags. The merchant shipping 
of the United States shows a steady decline. 

11. Public instruction progresses steadily, the average daily school 
attendance increasing much faster than population. School expenditure 
is three times as much as in the United Kingdom. 

12. Land grants to settlers and farmers average 10,000.000 acres yearly, 
and the area under farms it at present approximately 707,000,000 acres, 
of which one-third is under crops, two-thirds under pasture. 

AMERICAN HOMES. 

According to the latest compilations the United States contains 
12,690,152 families. These families are located as follows: 


Upon farms,. 4,767,179 

In villages,. 4,224,560 

In cities between 8,000 and 100,000 population, . 1,749.549 

In cities of 100,000 or greater population, . 1,948,834 


Among the farming families, which represent slightly more than one- 
third of the whole population, 47 per cent, own their properties free of 
incumbrance, and 19 per cent, in addition are owners subject to mort¬ 
gage. 

Among residents of villages 34 per cent, own their homes unincum¬ 
bered, and 10 per cent., in addition, own subject to mortgage. The pro¬ 
portion of those owning unincumbered homes in the smaller cities is 24 
per cent., and of mortgaged homes 12 per cent. In the greater cities but 
9 per cent, of the residents own their homes absolutely, and only about 
14 per cent, in addition are even partial owners. Thus, in the great cities 
as it will be seen, 77 per cent, of the people pay rent. Of the entire popu¬ 
lation of the country nearly 48 per cent, own their homes, either wholly or 
in part. The partial owners pay annually, in interest upon mortgages 
against homes (not including farms) the sum of $65,182,629, or an average 
of $80.00 per home. The average rate of interest is 6.23 per cent. The 
average value of the American home is $3,250, and the average incum¬ 
brance is $1,224. 

As the highest sense of security and contentment known to mankind 

86 






is derived from the ownership of property, and more especially of a 
home, it must be manifest that a greater degree of happiness and peace 
of mind abides with those who live apart from the cities, either upon 
farms, or in villages, and however hard at times may seem the lot of the 
tiller of the soil, the condition of those upon the same plane of life in 
the cities is far more unfavorable to the enjoyment of the years that make 
up the sum of their lives. 


CHRISTIANITY AND THE BIBLE. 

THE RELIGIONS OF MANKIND. 


Protestant Christians, 116 millions. 

Non-Protestant Christians, 275 millions. 

f Catholics, 190 millions. ) 

\ Greeks, 85 millions. / 

Jews, 8 millions. 


Non-Christians, 1,034 millions. 

Heathen, 850 millions. 


The above diagram tells its own story. 

The relative areas indicate the numerical proportions of the worlds 
population. 


87 







PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY. 

The life of Jesus closed with over five hundred brethren; the Pente¬ 
costal revival, with five thousand conversions. In the first fifteen cen¬ 
turies there was a gain of one hundred million. In the next three, the 
number was doubled; and in the present century the number has been 
doubled again. 


CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE. 

Leading features and characteristic topics of each book may be stated 
as follows (from Bagster’s Teacher’s Bible): 

A. THE OLD TESTAMENT. 

i. The Hexateuch. 

1. Genesis.—The early history of mankind and the patriarchs. 

2. Exodus.—The exodus and the moral law. 

3. Leviticus.—The priestly law. 

4. Numbers.—The social and political law. 

5. Deuteronomy.—The prophetic- law. 

6. Joshua.—The conquest of Canaan. 

2. The National History of Israel. 

1. Judges.—The dark ages of Israel. 

2. Ruth.—An idyll, with hope of better days. 

3. Samuel.—Establishment of the kingdom. 

4. Kings.—Political history of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. 

5. Chronicles.—Priestly history of the two kingdoms. 

6. Ezra.—The priestly restoration after the captivity. 

7. Nehemiah.—The political restoration. 

8. Esther.—A picture of the exile. 

3. Poetical Books. 

1. Job.—The drama of Providence. 

2. The Psalms.—Hebrew lyrics and hymns of worship. 

3. Canticles.—The Hebrew pastoral. 

4. Lamentations.—Hebrew elegies. 

4. Books of Wisdom. 

1. Proverbs.—Didactic practical wisdom. 

2. Ecclesiastes.—Reflective practical wisdom. 

5. The Four Great Prophets. 

1. Isaiah.—The evangelical prophet. 

2. Jeremiah.—The prophet of sorrow. 

3. Ezekiel.—The priestly prophet. 

4. Daniel.—The apocalyptic prophet. 

6. The Twelve Minor Prophets. 

1. Hosea.—The prophet of divine love. 

2. Joel.—The preacher of the locust judgment. 

3. Amos.—The lay prophet and unconventional preacher of righteous-, 
ness. 

4. Obadiah.—The preacher of judgment upon Edom, 

5. Jonah.—The foreign missionary. 

L.ofC. 


88 


6. Micah.—The rustic Isaiah and evangelical prophet. 

7. Nahum.—The preacher of judgment upon Nineveh. 

8. Habakkuk.—The preacher of judgment upon Babylon. 

9. Zephaniah.—The herald of the day of wrath for the world and 
judgment upon Judah. 

10. Haggai.—The prophet of the second temple. 

11. Zechariah.—The preacher of the Messianic kingdom in opposition 
to the kingdom of earth. 

12. Malachi.—The herald of the coming of the Lord. 

B. THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

1. The Four Gospels. 

1. The Synoptic Gospels: 

(a) St. Matthew.—The Gospel for the Jews. 

(b) St. Mark.—The Gospel for the Romans. 

(c) St. Luke.—The Gospel for the Gentiles. 

2. St. John.—The supplementary Gospel. 

2. The Acts of the Apostles. 

The history of the early spread of Christianity. 

3. The Pauline Epistles. 

1. Romans.—Justification by faith. 

2. 1 and 2 Corinthians.—The power of the cross applied to conduct. 

3. Galatians.—The law and the Gospels. 

4. Ephesians.—The church as the body of Christ. 

5. Philippians.—The identification of the Christian with Christ. 

6. Colossians.—The glory of Christ. 

7. 1 and 2 Thessalonians.—Christian life in view of the second advent. 

8. t and 2 Timothy and Titus.—Pastoral epistles. 

9. Philemon.—Christianity in domestic life. 

4. Hebrews. 

The superseding of the old covenant by the new. 

5. The General Epistles. 

1. James.—Practical Christianity. 

2. 1 and 2 Peter.—Christian privileges and duties. 

3. 1, 2 and 3 John.—The life of love. 

4. Jude.—Dangers of apostasy. 

6. Revelation. 

Coming judgments and the second advent. 

THE BIBLE. 

All religions of the civilized world have their sacred books, con¬ 
taining, in most part, the system of belief of their adherents, and with 
more or less claim to a divine origin. For example, the Mohammedans 
claim for the Koran that it lay before the throne of God from the begin¬ 
ning of time—was never created. In this the Bible differs from all other 
sacred books. As Drummond has thoughtfully said: “ In the distant past 
there flowed among the heathen nations of the world a small warm stream 
jike the Gulf Stream in the cold Atlantic—a small stream of religion, and 

89 


now and then at intervals men carried along by this stream, uttered them¬ 
selves in words as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The historical 
parts came out of facts, the devotional parts came out of experiences of 
the heart, the letters came out of circumstances, and the Gospels out of 
all three. Thus the Bible grew out of religion—was its effect and not 
its cause.” 

This process continued during a period of sixteen hundred years, 
until forty authors, from the shepherd to the king, had made their con¬ 
tributions to its contents. The fact that men from every station of life, 
the learned and the unlearned, the rich and the poor, were instruments 
in its composition, writing at long intervals, and often without knowledge 
of what had been previously written, yet with unerring accuracy unfolding 
the same system of truth, this fact constitutes one of the strongest internal 
evidences that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” and that 
these men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 


WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TEACH. 

The Scriptures principally teach “what man is to believe concerning 
God, and what duty God requires of man.” They are divided into two 
main parts—The Old Testament (Covenant), and The New Testament 
(Covenant). 

The Old Testament contains, primarily, the history of creation and 
redemption, and is naturally divided into six Epochs:— 

i. From the fall of man to the flood. 

2.. From the flood to the calling of Abraham. 

3. From the calling of Abraham to Moses. 

4. From Moses to David. 

5. From David to the captivity into Babylon. 

6. From the captivity into Babylon to the incarnation of Christ. 
Genesis —A book of origins—beginnings— 

1. The beginning of creation—Gen. 1:1. 

2. The beginning of sin—Gen. 3 : 6. 

3. The beginning of the Gospel—Gen. 3 :15. 

4. The beginning of National civilization—Gen. 4 : 17-24. 

5. The beginning of nations and languages—Gen. 11 : 1, 9, 17. 

6. The beginning of the church—Gen. 12 : 1-3, 17 : 7, 


PERIODS OF OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 


C D A E D E C 


C to C.—Creation to Christ. 

C to A.—Creation to Abraham. 

D to D.—Deluge to David. 

E to E.—Exodus to Exile. 

C to A.—History of the race. 

A to C.—History of the Covenant people. 


90 



LAST FOUR PERIODS, VIZ: 

1. Patriarchal Period.—Abraham to the Exodus. 

2. Period of the Judges—Exodus to David. 

3. Period of the Kings—David to Exile. 

4. Period of Foreign Dominion—Exile to Christ. 

UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 

Opening with a short record of “ The Beginnings,” we are intro¬ 
duced to Eden with its beauty and happiness, quickly followed by its 
desolation and curse. 

Adam fell from the estate wherein he was created by sinning against 
God. 

‘‘So he drove out the man.” 

“ The drama of exile has often been repeated in the world’s history, 
but never so sadly as in the experience of the first pair, when— 

“ They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, 
Through Eden took their solitary way.” 

This doleful picture signalizes the fact that man, made in the image 
of God, with free access to His presence, has become, by his voluntary 
act, an exile and a rebel, forever losing the right to come into divine 
presence, for petition or communion, in his own name, or upon his 
own merit. So we have the underlying principle—no access to the King 
by the rebel, but through a Mediator. The sacrifices, the ritual, the 
High Priest, all emphasizing this principle, and typical of that “ Medi¬ 
ator of the better covenant,” the second Adam, who, “ in the fullness of 
time,” would make the last and only sacrifice to satisfy divine justice. 
The rise and progress of the work of redemption, wherein the Mediator 
undertakes to make atonement, are minutely unfolded in history and 
prophecy until Malachi closes the sacred canon. 

INTERVAL BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT. 

By means of history and prophecy do the Scriptures give account 
of the events by which the work of redemption was carried on from the 
beginning to its completion. When history ceases prophecy takes its 
place. While the Old Testament lights, the “stars of the long night,” 
hide their heads before the rising Sun of Righteousness, yet prophecy 
had cast a ray of light through the dark hours before the dawn of the 
“day spring from on high.” Although four centuries of silence are un¬ 
broken by a single sacred historian, yet the prophet Daniel had minutely 
covered the entire period in foretelling the destruction of the Persian 
empire, and setting up the Grecian by Alexander the Great, the subse¬ 
quent division of this kingdom into four parts, and the final overthrow 
of this divided kingdom and the establishment of the Roman Empire. 
So we have an unbroken thread of sacred narrative from the closing words 
of Malachi, “ Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare 
the way before me,” and the announcement in the opening words of the 
New Testament, four hundred years afterward, “ In those days came John 
the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Prepare ye 
the way of the Lord.” 

Christ and His redemption is the theme of the Old Testament, in 
history, prophecy and song, differing only from the New in that it con- 


91 


tains the Gospel under a veil, but the New contains it unveiled, “ So that 
we may see the glory of the Lord with open face.” 

THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

The first four books of the New Testament are commonly called “ The 
Gospels,” containing particularly the biography of the earthly life of the 
Incarnate Son of God, by the voluntary close of which He actually pur¬ 
chased that redemption which was foreshadowed through the old dispensa¬ 
tion. Though written by four different persons and containing much in 
common, yet they throw light upon the earthly pilgrimage of the Lord 
from four distinct points of view. Matthew writes of Him from the 
standpoint of a Jew, tracing His genealogy back to Abraham. Mark 
views Him more particularly as the Spiritual Conqueror, the Wonder¬ 
worker, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, filling the people with amazement 
and fear. His Gospel was designed especially for Roman readers. Luke 
views the life of the Lord from a broader field, tracing His genealogy to 
Adam, thus bringing Him in touch with the whole world, so that “Our 
Redeemer” is also “Our Kinsman.” The reflective, thoughtful John takes 
a still deeper and broader view than either of his associates, tracing the 
genealogy, so to speak, of Christ to the very bosom of God the Father, 
thus emphasizing the divine nature of the Son of Man. 

Following the Gospels is “ The Acts of the Apostles,” giving an 
account of the doings of the Apostles in carrying out the marching 
orders of their Lord—“Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel”— 
not, however, until the advent of the Spirit, who would endue them 
with “power from on high.” While the Spirit, the third person of the 
Trinity, was in the world from the beginning, yet not until Pentecost did 
He come in His official capacity, henceforth to apply to men’s hearts the 
redemption purchased by Christ. Pentecost may properly be called the 
“Birthday of the Spirit,” and upon His advent went the Apostles forth 
upon their divine mission—“Those who were scattered abroad, went 
everywhere preaching the word,” and as a result of these apostolic activi¬ 
ties the founding of many churches is recorded in the Acts. As a natural 
sequence to this gathering into the Church of Jew, Greek, Barbarian, 
bond and free, many peculiar, and sometimes serious complications arose 
upon questions social and moral, calling at times for the admonition, 
warning and explanation of the Apostles. Hence, we have the Epistles, 
called forth in almost every instance from some peculiar circumstance 
connected with the church to whom it was addressed. The question 
would naturally arise in the minds of early Christians, “ What is to be 
the final result of all this labor, hardship, persecution, sorrow and joy?” 
The Revelation answers the question for them, as it does for the thought¬ 
ful now. 

The Bible closes with a grand panorama of the ultimate triumph of 
that Spiritual Kingdom which has been opposed from the beginning 
by the world, the flesh and the devil. While its language is often that 
of mysterious symbol, yet it pictures with simple vividness the ultimate 
triumph of the friends, and total destruction of the enemies, of the 
Gospel. 

In Benton’s “Thirty Years’ View” we find this interesting incident of 
John Randolph, of Roanoke, upon his deathbed. “ The last time I saw 
him,” says the writer, “when in full view of death, I heard him read 
the chapter of the Revelation of the opening of the seals, with such power 


9 2 


and beauty of voice and delivery, and such depth of pathos, that I felt as 
if I had never heard the chapter read before. When he had gotten to 
the end of the opening of the sixth seal, he stopped the reading, laid the 
book (open at the place) on his breast, as he lay on his bed, and began 
a discourse upon the beauty and sublimity of the Scriptural writings, com¬ 
pared to which he considered all human compositions vain and empty. 
Going over the images presented by the opening of the seals, he averred 
that their divinity was in their sublimity; that no human power could 
take the same images and inspire the same awe and terror, and sink 
ourselves into such nothingness in the presence of the ‘wrath of the 
Lamb’; that he wanted no proof of their divine origin but the sublime 
feelings which they inspired.” The same writer records the expression 
of the brilliant Randolph, “Though woman had lost us paradise, she 
had gained us heaven,” thus beautifully epitomizing the Scripture record, 
which reveals the purpose of the Almighty to bring man into still closer 
relationship to Him than Adam enjoyed before the fall. During Adam’s 
short tenure of Eden he was only a holy servant, a “tenant by courtesy,” 
so long as he obeyed, with no vested rights for the future. God would 
not leave him thus, but would rather elevate him and his posterity to 
the more exalted position of heirs in the family of a Divine Father. The 
unfolding and preparation for the completion of the divine plan are given 
in the Old Testament Scriptures. The consummation, in the sacrifice 
of the innocent substitute, is revealed in the New, and as the revelation 
closes the veil is partially lifted, giving a glimpse of the blessed exalta¬ 
tion as the redeemed assemble at the marriage supper of the Lamb, sing¬ 
ing, “Thou art worthy to take the Book, and to open the seals thereof; 
for Thou wast slain, and has redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of 
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation”—the angels catch 
up the chorus—“ Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, 
and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and bless¬ 
ing,” While heaven resounds with the universal chorus, “ Blessing, and 
honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, 
and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” 



93 



BEN FRANKLIN’S EPITAPH 


The curious epitaph that appears upon the tomb of Benjamin Frank¬ 
lin was written many years before his death by the philanthropist him¬ 
self: 

“ THE BODY OF 
B. FRANKLIN, 

PRINTER, 

LIKE THE COVER OF AN OLD BOOK, 

ITS CONTENTS TORN OUT, 

AND STRIPPED OF ITS LETTERING AND GILDING, 
LIES HERE FOOD FOR WORMS. 

BUT THE WORK SHALL NOT BE WHOLLY LOST; 

FOR IT WILL, AS HE BELIEVED, APPEAR ONCE MORE, 
IN A NEW AND MORE PERFECT EDITION. 

CORRECTED AND AMENDED 
BY THE AUTHOR.” 

This most interesting epitaph may well stand as the confession of a 
great man’s faith, answering to the soul’s satisfaction the cry, “ If a man 
die, shall he live again? ” 


94 



WHERE BEN FRANKLIN SLEEPS 
Christ Church Cemetery, 5th and Arch Sts., Philadelphia 


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